Monkey's Sandwich by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox
| Monkey's Sandwich by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sam Tyler
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| Summary: Join a hungry monkey with light fingers in this colourful and fun children's book that teaches us to think before we take. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: January 2017 |
| Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9780007580019 | |
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Monkeys have been given the reputation of being cheeky, but do you also see them as petty thieves? How can these cheerful chimps be seen as anything other than cute, but mischievous little monkeys? Anyone who has driven through Knowsley Safari Park knows the truth. A perfectly good car drives in the monkey enclosure only to be bereft of wing mirrors, hubcaps and windscreen wipers at the end. Rumour has it that the monkeys sell these parts wholesale at a lockup in South Kirby. The monkey in this tale may not be stealing car parts, but he is a little light fingered when it comes to making the ultimate lunch.
Monkey is up early and that means he's getting hungry before anyone else. He has nothing interesting to eat so he decides to pop around to his friends' houses and see if they have anything. Luck would have it, as they all have a different ingredient for a mega snack. They seem so busy, why bother asking them if you can borrow some food? Will Monkey get in trouble with all his jungle pals?
Setting your story in a jungle is a children's book cliché, but it's tales like Monkey's Sandwich that shows why the deep woods are so popular. Sandwich is full of fun creatures and none more so that Monkey himself, a hapless scamp who is too clueless to realise that taking food without asking is not the done thing. Visually, this is one book that 2-6 year olds will love. Fox has filled each page with colour, but there's more than just trees and vines here. The setting is a town within the jungle, so you also get to enjoy what all the different animal's houses look like, from Mouse's small abode in a tree stump, to Elephant's White House like mansion.
The drawings in Sandwich are instantly likeable - especially Monkey who is a roly-poly cutie. However, it's Robinson's words that refuse to take a back seat and make the book even more fun. Creating a rhythmical book for children is not as easy as some would imagine. I've read plenty of clunky rhyming couplets in my time. The story of Monkey and his sandwich bops along at a perfect pace and is just nice to speak out loud. This helps to grab your child's attention, but it also means that the book has a sing song feel to it.
The words and rhythm are one thing; another is the story. The setup is simple, but clever. You get to see all the different foods that Monkey gathers, but also how all his friends' react once they realise their food is gone. In particular there is a funny ending to the story that means our Monkey friend gets his comeuppance and the reader realises that taking something without asking is not good.
This book has many of the classic-feeling elements that make a good children's book – colourful images, jungle animals and a moral. With this list you could dismiss it with tens of other jungle based books, but Sandwich manages to stand out as it is great fun and has a wonderful bouncing rhythm.
Monkeys are everywhere in children's fiction from Mungo Monkey to the Rescue by Lydia Monks to Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson and Lucy Richards.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Monkey's Sandwich by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox 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 Monkey's Sandwich by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox at Amazon.com.
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