Monkey See, Look at Me!
Written & Illustrated by Lorena Siminovich
Dial Books for Young Readers • 2012 • 32 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3737-2
Hardcover ($16.99)
Ages 3-8
A friendly little monkey wearing plaid pants and yellow suspenders is the main character in this repetitive tale that children will enjoy reading and re-reading. (Repetitive books are highly recommended for younger readers because they help with cognitive development.) The phrase, No, silly monkey is uttered by a different animal each time the monkey sees his friends and tries to imitate them to fly like a bird, jump like a rabbit, roar like a lion, and splash like an elephant.
Read Related: The 10 Best Gifts for Young Readers
The author makes good use of onomatopoeia when the monkey encounters each animal. The bird goes “zoom,” the rabbit goes “boing,” the lion goes “roarrrrr!,” and the elephant goes “whoosh?” In the end, the monkey gets the last laugh when his friends claim to be “monkeys” at the playground, and he responds: “No, friends, you’re not monkeys. Look at me! I’m the silly monkey, can’t you see?” The delightful, colorful illustrations show the sweet monkey’s face, with its heart-shaped nose as he plays with each of his cuddly friends. On the last page, the monkey winks at readers to let them in on the joke. A wonderful book about using your imagination and playing with friends.
—Reviewed by Dr. Veronica Covington, School of Information, University of Texas, Austin
