Cheeky Monkey

Lively and funny, this delightful picture book will prove to ‘cheeky monkeys’ everywhere that there is more to friendship than playing tricks on ones’ friends. The little monkey (painted bright red in this story) is very ready to play with his animal friends, but when he cheerfully paints the zebra’s tail green, nicks the giraffe’s banana, and jumps the queue to slide down the slide, his friends begin to feel cross. Knocking down ostrich’s block tower and hitting elephant with balls doesn’t help matters. But when he clangs cymbals next to sleeping lion… he begins to realise he has made a mistake. What should he do? The deus ex machina who has been trying all along to make Cheeky Monkey see the error of his ways, asks the question, and Cheeky Monkey says ‘Sorry’ and really seems to mean it.Then they all play happily together. It is the remarkable pictures in this lovely book that make all the difference. Brightly coloured animals displayed on green, purple, blue, yellow, and orange backgrounds make up a vivid panoply of fun. The text is simple and memorable, and the whole produces a charming way of helping the youngest child learn about behaviour.