“Monkey and me, Monkey and me, Monkey and Me, We went to see…” The rhyming refrain on every other page is the same, but what changes is the body language of the little girl playing with her stuffed monkey. Each time, she pretends to be a particular animal, so that astute young readers can predict whether she and Monkey will see penguins, kangaroos, bats, elephants, or monkeys. Each species is shown on the alternating wordless page spreads. The pattern and picture clues offer a predictability that will make this both a good read-aloud and a good book for children who are just beginning to read on their own. The spirited two-color line drawings capture the energy of a playful child who wears herself out by the end of the book and falls asleep. (Ages 2–6)

In this perfect preschool book, a young girl and her stuffed monkey delight in mimicking all kinds of animals, such as marching penguins and stomping elephants. There is repetition—“Monkey and me / Monkey and me / Mon key and me / We went to see . . .”—followed by page turns that encourage prediction and finally, a surprise ending. Subdued watercolor and graphite illustrations provide clues about the animals that appear on the next page: monkey is stuffed inside “momma’s” red-and-white-striped shirt, just as “real” Joeys hop with their “mommas” on the next page. Prepare to read this more than once, because once won’t be enough! Author won the Kate Greenaway Medal, Macmillan Prize, and the Nestlé Bronze Award for her book Wolves . lmp

Originally published by Macmillan Children’s Books Great Britain, in 2007.