Manners Are Not for Monkeys

by Heather Tekavec, David Huyck

Overview

When the old zookeeper moved the monkeys to a cage next to the picnic area, she didn’t know the trouble it would cause … The little monkeys are fascinated by the children’s behavior, and before long they are imitating the children! They play quietly, pick up their banana peels and chew with their mouths closed. Mother Monkey can’t stand it! “Try to behave like monkeys!” she shouts, but to no avail. The children who visit the zoo aren’t happy either: watching well-behaved monkeys is no fun at all. What’s a zookeeper to do? Children will go ape over the way the tables are turned in this playful picture book. Always topical, the theme of manners and behavior is an essential element of school readiness preparation for preschoolers. A laugh-out-loud tale that is sure to bring out the monkey in everyone!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771386975
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	04/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Heather Tekavec first fell in love with children's literature while working as a preschool teacher. Stop, Thief! is her ninth published book. Heather lives in Cloverdale, British Columbia.

Raised near Chicago, David grew up half a block from the candy store in one direction, and half a block from the playground in the other. Along with a limitless supply of Legos, cartoons and all genres of books, the resulting high-fructose queasiness is the point source for everything he has made ever since.

Editorial Reviews

... humorous and instructional; adults will hope children see and heed its message.—Kirkus Reviews

... this is a fun, goofy manners lesson that's more playful than preachy.—Booklist

From the Publisher

04/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—When an old zookeeper moves the monkey cage beside the picnic area, the curious young monkeys begin to pick up some new habits from the children they see. Impressed, the monkeys use good manners. Mother Monkey is quickly frustrated by her children's displays of etiquette—chewing with their mouths closed, taking turns, and tidying up their messes. She insists that they "try to behave like monkeys!" However, they have become so used to acting appropriately that they can't recall what monkeys should do. When a particularly wild bunch of children visit the zoo and try to remind the well-behaved monkeys how to swing, screech, and scatter garbage, the old zookeeper realizes that she has made a mistake. She moves the unruly children into the cage and releases the polite little monkeys. The comical illustrations are infused with humor and action. Silly expressions and quirky details make this a natural choice for sharing aloud. VERDICT Pair this title with Mo Willems's Time To Say Please for a fun-filled etiquette-themed storytime!—Whitney LeBlanc, KIPP New Orleans Schools

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
The monkey cage's change of venue—to a spot near the picnic area—causes its inhabitants to learn human manners, but some just can't stand for that. The young monkeys are fascinated by the children outside their cage. And they quickly pick up on the ways the kids and parents interact. It's not long before the monkeys are chewing with their mouths closed, taking turns, playing quietly, and tidying up. This drives their exasperated mother bananas: "TRY TO BEHAVE LIKE MONKEYS!" But each time they try to make her happy, they are deprived of watching the children's antics; the fascinated kids either stop to watch the monkeys or the monkeys lose their concentration. But one day, a wild group of children visits the zoo. They are mystified by the unmonkeylike behavior of the monkeys and set out to show them what to do. When the zookeeper sees this, she understands she's made a terrible mistake. Readers will expect her to move the monkey cage back to its original location, but her solution will have parents nodding in understanding and spark children's laughter. Huyck's digitally colored pencil illustrations play up the humor of the monkeys' well-mannered behavior, and small details add to the fun—look for the monkey with a banana-peel tie and an age-old joke. The families are nicely diverse, and the zookeeper is a middle-aged white woman with a gray ponytail. The twist at the end is both humorous and instructional; adults will hope children see and heed its message. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews