Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do

November 1, 1996
PreS-Gr 2-When five bored little monkeys complain of nothing to do, their mother gladly enlists their help in getting ready for Grandma's visit. In a great scurry, they clean their room, scrub the bathroom, beat the rug, and pick berries for dessert. Unfortunately, when they turn to readying themselves, they undo all their good work and muss and muddy the entire house. Wordless final pictures show them cleaning again. This is Christelow's fourth book about these little monkeys, and it's not quite as much fun as the author's earlier efforts, no doubt because of the "housework is never done" subject matter. The ink-and-wash cartoon illustrations, however, are lively and offer much that will amuse, such as each little monkey pointing in blame at another. This book can be enjoyed one-on-one or at story hour, and all who read it will gain more appreciation for whoever does the cleaning at home.-Meg Stackpole, Rye Free Reading Room, NY

September 1, 1996
Ages 4^-6. Christelow's five little monkeys make a return appearance, this time to prepare for their Grandma Bessie's visit. When the quintet complain they are bored, Mother has them straighten their room. That task finished, they're bored again, so they're told to clean the bathroom and then pick berries. (Wouldn't most little monkeys stop complaining about being bored at this point?) The monkeys are so dirty that Mother tells them to clean themselves up. In the process, they track up the house, mess up the bathroom, and fling clothes out of their closet as they dress, throwing the house into utter disarray. No wonder Grandma Bessie blinks when Mother tells how they've spent the whole day cleaning. This is pure silliness--just the kind kids like. The monkeys are suitably active, and their mess-making skills, as demonstrated in the watercolor art, are impressive, with clothes scattered everywhere and dirty water overflowing the tub. Perhaps not as noteworthy as the earlier books, but still plenty of fun. ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)