Monkey and Me

'Monkey and Me' is a beautifully illustrated story for young children, filled with imagination and fun. The gentle watercolour illustrations are utterly charming, with the limited use of colour adding a 'pop' to each page. The story shows the imaginative play of a young girl and her toy monkey, acting out a host of different animals. Children will be guessing what the animals are by looking at the the play between the girl and the monkey, before the animal is revealed on the next page. The book encourages children to use clues, in this case picture clues, to predict what might happen next. This is an essential skill in reading. The clear rhythm and repetition will have children following along and reciting the story with ease. They will then be shouting out the different animals that have been acted out, joining in with the actions. This book is perfect for encouraging role-play by getting children to join in and act out the animals. They could create their own 'Monkey and Me' stories by adding in their own actions for chosen animals whilst reciting the repeated verses of the story. Children could also create their own 'Monkey and Me' guessing games by acting out animals for others to guess. This is such a fun book - a wonderful read aloud to actively engage young children and encourage imaginative play. Picture book / Ages 2+ / Reviewed by Torie Walton, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 0+