In 1941, author/illustrator H.A. Rey published the children’s classic Curious George, the lighthearted story of a naïve monkey whose endless curiosity continually, and amusingly, gets him into trouble. Over the course of the seven original books by Rey and his wife, Margret, Curious George gets a job as a window washer, learns to ride a bike, and even flies into space, among other adventures. In the years since, tales of monkeys have become a staple of children’s literature, and countless kids have enjoyed reading about the wide-ranging activities of fictional primates. Here are three recent examples, all recommended by Kirkus Indie:
Dad’s Monkey Business by Keegan Brown tells the rhyming tale of a young monkey and his father as they tackle a series of renovation and home-improvement projects. Much like Curious George, the dad throws himself into activities with gusto but sometimes doesn’t think them through, as when he hammers nails into boards and accidentally dislodges some paint cans, creating a purple-paint mess that annoys the child: “A grouch is sitting on the couch.” Still, after a few cartoonish mishaps—illustrated with verve by Arthur Lin—the father and son manage to build a ramshackle but very impressive series of treehouses. However, that doesn’t stop the eager dad from suggesting yet another project. “Parents and kids with their own joint endeavors will relate to the characters’ challenges and triumphs,” notes Kirkus’ reviewer.
Paul B. Kennedy’s Dulcie and Duke, The Magical Monkey: Book One: A Vietnamese Adventure, illustrated by Syifa Hanna, tones down the wackiness to offer an intriguing tale of international friendship. After a young girl named Dulcie and her parents move to Hanoi, Vietnam, she meets a talking monkey named Duke on the street, who wears clothes and a backpack. The pair become fast friends, and Duke introduces the girl to the food and culture of his home country; they visit such beautiful locales as Ha Long Bay and the mountain town of Sa Pa, using a magical wrench that opens doors to wherever they want to go. “Young readers will likely look forward to where Duke takes Dulcie next,” notes our review—and in future volumes, the pair visit Italy and Greece, and even travel through time.
Terri Tatchell’s picture-book series-starter, Monkey-House Mouse and the Storytime Zoo, forgoes monkey business to offer an affecting, rhyming tribute to the power of storytelling, featuring art by Tina Perko. The central character isn’t a monkey, but a mouse who lives inside a zoo’s monkey house. She shares illustrated stories of the outside world with various animals, who, in turn, share their food with her. Her favorite audience, though, is a baby monkey to whom she tells stories through a crack in the floor: “She’d whisper up the things she’d seen / beyond his glass wall glare.” When the mouse falls temporarily ill, the zoo’s residents realize how much her stories mean to them. The young monkey later tells her a tale “right from his heart”—and then reveals the other animals’ gift to her. It’s “a heartwarming tale of friendship and mutual support for young animal-lovers,” notes Kirkus’ reviewer.
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
