Happy Year of the Monkey!

Happy Year of the Monkey! 

The Year of the Monkey begins! According to astrologyclub.org :

 
The monkey is all about being creative and innovative with what you have. The Year of the Monkey 2016 is a good year to break free and take calculated risks as there is nothing more powerful or rewarding than following your heart’s desire.

As for me, I'm celebrating Chinese New Year in the same way I do every year -- with a book list of monkey themed stories, mostly for children! 

1. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

In this charming story, a peddler taking a rest has his stock of caps stolen by a treeful of monkeys, and has to outwit them in order to get his caps back. Fun repetition in the text makes it a delightful readaloud.

2. Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl

This cute little book aimed at toddlers tells the tale of a monkey who drops his ice cream and has a tantrum. It gives ideas on how to deal with disappointments in a more useful fashion - offering coping techniques to families everywhere.

3. Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson 

One monkey sleeps all day, another all night. They experience completely different things although they are in the same place - until they figure out how to share day and night together. I love the idea behind this story, and the illustrations are fun and charming too.

4. Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Ben, at 13 years old, has his life changed when his mother brings home a baby chimp as part of an experiment; his father, a behavioural scientist, wants to see if a chimp can develop human language skills by being raised in a family. The chimp, Zan, quickly makes Ben his favourite, and when the experiment ends, Ben faces a dilemma. This is a novel aimed at teens, and contains a lot to spark discussion.

5. The One & Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This award-winning junior novel is a touching story of Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a mall as part of a run-down 'circus' attraction. He loves art, and spends his days pondering quiet things. He could even be considered, perhaps, content with his life. Until the day when Ruby, a baby elephant, is added to their mall menagerie, and he begins to see things differently...