Product Description

JUMP, JABBA JABBA, RUN, JABBA JABBA, MUNCH, JABBA JABBA, Tiny, tiny monkeys having fun! But when are they going to remember to build themselves a shelter from the rain, PLINKA PLINKA, and the wind, WOOYA WOOYA, and - scariest of all - the jaguar, GURR-YUH GURR-YUH? Surely not when they can play! Based on a tale from the Brazilian rain forest about blackmouth monkeys, SO SAY THE LITTLE MONKEYS is a completely irresistible read-aloud that also contains a gentle message: Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #806399 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 40 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Children will find much to relate to in this whimsical tale of a wild bunch of monkeys intent on having fun and easily distracted from more practical considerations. Drawn from a Brazilian folktale, Van Laan's (Little Fish, Lost) infectious rhyming text tells of the tiny monkeys ("blackmouths") who live along the Rio Negro in Brazil. Homeless wanderers, the blackmouths sleep in tall palm trees which, because of sharp thorns on their branches, are not the most comfortable resting places. Heo's (Pets!) pencil, oil and collage illustrations carry the childlike energy that has become her calling card. She illustrates the antics of the monkeys in a crazy quilt of offbeat hues: chartreuse, burnt orange, banana yellow and aqua. The primates cavort and dance among the thorns in pages that alternate between spreads and single-page illustrations. As in all folktales, there is an underlying cautionary lesson woven through the revels and sing-along soundings ("Plinka Plinka" when it rains, "Wooya Wooya" when the wind howls): sometimes it pays to plan for the storms and dangers that seem so distant when the sun is shining and calling little ones out to play. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-In this Brazilian folktale, a group of impractical little monkeys live alongside the black waters of a cool, dark river where they sing and play all day. At night it rains, "PLINKA PLINKA," and the wind blows, "WOOYA WOOYA," and the only available shelter is the uncomfortable, thorny branches of the tall trees. Shivering and crying, the monkeys vow to build themselves a home. Remarkably, it doesn't take much more than a bunch of ripe bananas and a sun shining brightly to keep these frisky fellows from their intended chore. In fact, these mischievously charming primates never do get around to completing their task; they're just too busy enjoying themselves. Stylishly drawn illustrations rendered in pencil, oil, and collage reflect the natural colors of the forest while maintaining a sense of animated glee. The rhyming text occasionally swings across a bright white page, keeping pace with the monkeys' unrestrained exuberance as "They swing, WHEEEE, over here./They swing, WHEEEE, over there./They sing, 'Jibba jibba jabba,'/ as they jump and run." An author's note states that the tale comes from the Indians who live along the Rio Negro in Brazil and was created to explain the unusual behavior of the "blackmouth" monkeys. A read-aloud delight with a repetitive text that supports beginning readers, this picture book is a guaranteed good time for all.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Ages 3^-7. The small "blackmouth" monkeys that live along the banks of Brazil's Black River have inspired an indigenous tale to explain why they sleep on thorny palms each night. In playful rhyme, Van Laan describes them as they swing, jump, and run: "Tiny, tiny monkeys having fun!" They have so much fun each day that when the rain starts ("PLINKA PLINKA") and the wind blows ("WOOYA WOOYA"), they wish they had spent time building a shelter. But morning comes, and the sun is out, and there are ripe bananas, so they decide to build one Amanhatomorrow. Heo's pencil, oil, and collage illustrations in earth tones and black form patterns evoke aboriginal bark paintings on some pages and Asian calligraphy on others. The rhyme and rhythm ("Shout, Jabba Jabba, Munch, Jabba Jabba, Swing, Jabba Jabba, Sing, Jabba Jabba") make for a bouncy read-aloud. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Customer Reviews

My boys love this book!
Never mind the review that says this for age 3+. My 14 month old won't go to bed until we've read this at least three times. He's barely talking but he picks up the books and says "Whee!" And his older brother (age 4) chimes in with the "Jibba Jibba Jabba" every time!

Rainforest Fun

The talents of the prolific Nancy Van Laan ("In a Circle Long Ago," and many others) and illustrator Yumi Heo ("Sometimes I'm Bombaloo") combine in this cheery retelling of a Brazilian folktale about blackmouth monkeys. The monkeys frolic through the Brazilian rainforest, swinging from vine to vine, and, most importantly, climbing the thorny tall trees:

Still they climb, UP-UP!
And they slide, Down-Down!
They sing, "Jibba-jibba-jabba."
swinging round and round

JUMP, JABBA JABBA,
RUN, JABBA JABBA,
SLIDE, JABBA JABBA,
Tiny monkeys having fun!

But these same trees keep them from having a comfortable home, unlike their neighbors the armadillo and the toucan. The monkeys SAY they're going to build a house, but fun and delicious things (e.g., bananas!) keep them from doing it!

The short rhymes and wonderful animal and nature sounds make this a very fun book to read out loud. The rhythms are musical, and the capitalized sounds (e.g., PLINKA PLINKA, WOOYA WOOYA, GURR-YUH GURR-YUH) are your cue to turn up the narrative volume for your little one. They'll eat it up. Slightly older toddlers may also enjoy the monkeys' priorities of fun and food over practicality. Yumi Heo has an unusual palette: I love the blues in her bubbling river and stormy sky. Her repetition of the playing monkeys nicely complements the repeated sounds of the text, and her flat, "folkish" drawings, filled with repeated designs and iconic imagery, evoke the teeming rainforest. The book was included in "The 3rd Edition of The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children." A simple but superb performance by van Laan and Heo.

A Fun Read
Both my three year old daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's rhyming verse is fun to read and the pictures are captivating. The actual story of how the carefree monkeys avoid making their night-time nests is light-hearted and amusing. My daughter and I borrowed this entertaining book from our local library. We liked it so well that I intend to buy it for her collection of favorites.