COUNT THE MONKEYS

How does one count the monkeys if there are no monkeys left to count? A philosophical question of the ages (and storytime).

The title page drolly advises readers from the start: “It’s fun. It’s easy. All you have to do is turn the page….” But there are no monkeys! Instead, there is a giant king cobra who has slithered across the entire book and scared all of the monkeys away. The audience is now directed to “[t]urn the page very slowly, very carefully so he doesn’t notice us.” Are the monkeys on the next page? Nope. But there are two mongooses who have chased away the cobra. Or is it mongeese? Barnett polls the readers, asking their opinion. And so it goes. Three dapper crocodiles frighten the mongooses, four picnic-loving grizzly bears frighten the crocodiles—but will there ever be any monkeys? This kinetic, raucous read-aloud invites kids to hum tunes, roar loudly, close their eyes and politely say “thank you” six times to the sweet old-lady beekeepers who chase away the bees. But alas, the book runs out of pages before those petrified primates ever make an appearance. (Thank goodness for endpapers.)

More fun than a barrel of…well, you know.