View source for Mungo Monkey goes on a Train by Lydia Monks

{{infobox2
|title=Mungo Monkey goes on a Train
|author=Lydia Monks
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Everyone hop on board the train as Mungo Monkey is about to go on a fun lift the flap adventure into the world of steam – Toot Toot!
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Maybe
|pages=14
|publisher=Egmont
|date=February 2015
|isbn=9781405269100
|website=http://www.lydiamonks.com/
|video=
|aznuk=1405269103
|aznus=1405269103
|cover=1405269103
}}

I have spent quite a lot of time on public transport and, believe you me, I have seen a few odd things in my time, but I have yet to see a family of monkeys catch the train.  However, Mungo is no ordinary monkey as he lives in a curious world where you can lift flaps and see what is going on.  What can be behind the next one?  Perhaps a photo of me looking puzzled as I see a monkey on the train!

Mungo, like many children, loves trains, so when his parents offer him a chance to ride on one, he is all steam ahead.  However, a ride on the train is not the only fun to be had on a day like this.  First you have to find all the family and before getting on the train you need to check whether Mungo has the right money.  All these discoveries are hidden in the book behind flaps – so you will have to discover the answers for yourself.

What pushes Lydia Monks’ ''Mungo Monkey goes on a Train'' from being just a game of flap lifting is that the story works with the interactive elements.  Some storybooks have hidden elements that are just there for the sake of it, but Monks makes many of the flaps part of the story.  What is making that strange noise in the dark tunnel?  Use a torch and lift the flap to find out.  Having a reason to determine which flap is opened leads to better story telling as it helps a young child understand more about putting a guided narrative in order; rather than just opening elements willy-nilly.

Although there is a slight through-line to the story, there is not really much to ''Mungo Monkey goes on a Train''.  The book is only 14 pages so you cannot tell much of a tale, but, even so, this book feels more like a series of events happening to Mungo on a given day and does not hold many surprises in terms of story.  The fun is left to the flap elements of the book, but there no reason why you cannot have a wild adventure as well.

The tactile nature of flap lifting has made this type of book popular for a long time; there is nothing a baby likes more than grabbing hold of a flap and trying to put it in their mouth.  As a child gets a little older they are able to appreciate things a little better, so ''Mungo Monkey goes on a Train'' is perhaps best suited for a toddler as the book will last a little longer.  For this reason, it may be something you want to buy rather than borrow – many of us know that sinking feeling you get when hearing the tear coming from the direction of a library book.

''Mungo Monkey goes on a Train'' proves again that children do love a book that can let them peek behind the curtain and in terms of the use of the flaps, Monks does a great job.  The images are also super crisp and colourful, each page is packed with things to look at and do.  The only real misgiving is that Mungo has a slightly dull day out – it is essentially like most trips you will take on the train, but with more hygienic animals on-board than the humans you are used to sitting next to.

If your child likes a lift-the-flap book there are loads of great ones to try.  [[What's In The Witch's Kitchen? by Nick Sharratt]] is naughty fun, whilst [[What's That Noise Mr Croc? by Jo Lodge]] is more sedate, but still great.

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