Mimi and Momo: No More Kissing! by Emma Chichester-Clark
| Mimi and Momo: No More Kissing! by Emma Chichester-Clark | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Ruth Ng
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| Summary: A funny and moving story all about kissing! Perfect for little boys and girls, whether they stand sweetly for kisses or hide under tables and then, if caught, wipe them off quickly! | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: April 2011 |
| Publisher: Andersen Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1849392310 | |
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Momo is one puzzled little monkey. Why does there have to be so much kissing? he asks. We travel with him through the jungle, seeing all the kissing that's going on. It seems to especially be, as Momo notes, Mummies kissing babies. Momo does not want to be kissed, by his family or by people he doesn't know, but no one seems willing to listen to him...
Momo's character is immediately recognisable, he is just like a little boy who hides under the table to avoid Grandma's goodbye kiss! The story is all told from his point of view which makes it very immediate for little ones and they can easily identify with what he's saying. It is rather strange that grown ups always swoop down for kisses with little ones, even when the little ones don't know them all that well. Poor Momo is increasingly frustrated, and I love when he stands on the table to declare No more kisses! and his family are just looking at him with slightly bemused smiles on their faces!
All different sorts of kisses are included, between parents, from grandparents, between siblings who must kiss and make up. When Momo's baby brother is born he cries all the time and Momo declares that it's because everyone keeps kissing him all the time and the baby doesn't like it. They hand the baby over to Momo and he tries everything to stop him crying, making faces, juggling, showing him his toys...nothing works and the baby just keeps on screaming! Finally Momo asks him what's the matter and the baby stops, silent for a moment and looking into Momo's eyes, and then Momo says then a weird thing happened, by mistake I think. I kissed him.! He quickly says afterwards that he hopes no one was looking, but of course they all were! I found the ending really rather moving. There's something very sweet and natural about Momo instinctively kissing his little brother. My daughter saw the funny side, of Momo doing a complete U-turn on the kissing issue, but it left me with a rather soppy happy feeling inside!
The illustrations are, as is always the case with Emma Chichester Clark, lovely. The monkey family all perfectly drawn, full of character. The other jungle animals are also sweet and funny (I particularly like the rhino who tries to give Momo a kiss!). I must confess I was a little confused as to why the monkeys were all dressed in human clothes, but the other animals weren't. Still, the colours are lovely, bright but not harsh, and you're left with the impression of Momo's family living in some wonderful tropical paradise.
There's a lot to look at through the story, with all the different kisses to discover and discuss as well as it being a nice book to talk about sibling relationships too. It's a book that will certainly last repeated readings and is a good story so the grown up reader won't mind having it again and again!
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.
Further reading suggestion: For more picture book delights from Emma Chichester Clark try Where Are You, Blue Kangaroo? and Beside the Sea.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Mimi and Momo: No More Kissing! by Emma Chichester-Clark at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Mimi and Momo: No More Kissing! by Emma Chichester-Clark at Amazon.com.
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