The Monkey Goes Bananas

April 1, 2014
This predominantly wordless picture book delivers a substantial helping of slapstick. The story begins on the copyright pages with a lone monkey sitting on a beach contemplating a banana tree across a body of water. The monkey--drawn with thick, heavy lines like the rest of the illustrations--tries swimming to the banana tree, only to beat a hasty retreat when he finds the waters shark-infested. The perspective shift as the panicked monkey surges back out of the water is a nice change from what up to this point has been stable. The monkey is not so easily dissuaded from his would-be meal and tries--and fails--multiple ways to get around the shark, who in turn refuses to be foiled. Raymundo moves the action forward in this portion of the story in comic book-esque panels. Words are used exclusively for labeling characters ("the monkey"; "the shark") and elements ("the stilts"; "the bait") in the story (with the lone exception of the shark's mighty "CHOMP!"). When the tenacious monkey finally gets his long-sought-after banana, it is only for it to fall--literally--into the...mouth...of the enemy: a delighted-looking shark. Though it won't be joining the stately likes of Aaron Becker's Journey or Bob Staake's Bluebird (both 2013), this book is a good laugh nonetheless: There's nothing wrong with lighthearted fun. (Picture book. 3-7)

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May 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 4-Kids will jump right into this rip-roaring flip book-paced tale. A monkey, sitting chin-on-fist on a corner of land, eyes an inaccessible bunch of bananas on another piece of land across a strait. Wordlessly, the story begins: the monkey dips his toe to test the water; he cautiously walks in up to his belly (wordless top half panel); he smiles, realizing it is not too deep (wordless bottom half panel). "The monkey. The shark," reads the next spread, with the monkey paralyzed, dumbfounded, face to fin with the shark. "THE SHARK!" is the cry on the subsequent spread, and the monkey is running for his life back to shore, off the left page, in a full close-up. Action is king here, the characters and props named only with labels. The cartoon style is both hilarious and fresh, with smudgy charcoal lines and a soft, painterly touch executed by the heavy use of the digital blurring brush. Juxtaposed with the humor and emotional toll, the monkey's problem-solving processes and perseverance triumph and will inspire kids to think. The plot thickens, and the pace speeds up as obstacles mount and the battle ensues between the shark and the monkey, all told visually with labels. Whereas most children's books end with the protagonist winning, this slapstick ending pushes our comfort level. Don't lose out on the fun of sharing this two-dimensional enactment of the old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention."-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
Preschool-G Minimalism rules in this story of a monkey stuck on one island but determined to eat the bananas on the opposite island. A mere 51 words (all nounsno verbs required) are employed to tell the tale of monkey see, monkey plot. The sparse text is complemented by Raymundo's remarkably expressive illustrations, which showcase his storyboarding credentials by transmitting a whole lot without a whole lot of brushstrokesa lowered brow here, a bead of sweat thereeach detail worth a thousand words. There is a slapstick element to the humor (the monkey is flung around with some regularity), which will resonate with readers as they turn each page to see what the monkey will try next. Throw in an opportunistic shark with an empty belly, and the pieces are in place for a laugh-out-loud story that should earn plenty of repeat readings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
The monkey sits on one island, and the bananas sit on another, separated by a body of water. Expressive, bold-outlined cartoon illustrations play up the comedy and action as the text uses silent filmlike scene-labeling: "THE MONKEY!"; "THE BANANAS!" Crafted to generate shrieks of laughter alongside shrieks of alarm, this nearly wordless book could appeal to individual beginning readers or to a storytime audience.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2014
This nearly wordless picture book opens with a visually clear dilemma: the monkey sits on one island, and the bananas sit on another, separated by a large body of water. Expressive cartoon illustrations in panels with bold outlines and bright colors play up the comedy and action as the text introduces key plot points through scene-labeling reminiscent of a slapstick silent film: "THE MONKEY!"; "THE BANANAS!"; "THE SHARK"; "THE SHARK!" The energetic, exaggerated art uses size, space, and proportion to ramp up tension as each progressively more complicated effort to reach the bananas fails and nearly does the monkey in ("Chomp!"). Ultimately, the monkey survives and even obtains one of those hard-earned bananas, but the only real satisfaction falls to the shark. Crafted to generate shrieks of laughter alongside shrieks of alarm, this book with its specific words and repetition could appeal as easily to individual beginning readers as to a storytime audience of listeners. julie roach

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)