Monkey Nut

Two little characters see an object. They are not sure what it is, but each is quite sure ‘It’s mine!’ Finding difficulty in sharing is probably universal in the very young. So children will relate to this theme which is explored here in a hugely entertaining way. The book encourages children’s creativity by inviting them to think of different uses for a monkey nut and offering imaginative suggestions: a chair, a telephone, a rattle, a drum, a boat and a skateboard. The story takes a dramatic turn when a giant spider tries to seize the nut. It flies from its grasp and is caught by an elephant. The elephant breaks the shell in two to eat the nut and the book ends with the two characters holding hands, each wearing half the shell as a hat – sharing at last!

The design is exciting, with simple and effective use of colour. Written text is minimal but there is varied size and orientation of print and an interesting use of space linking with children’s experience of screen based texts. It occurred to me that looking at the different expressions on the faces of the characters might be helpful to children who have difficulty in understanding the feelings and emotions of others. But, actually, I think anyone would find looking at this book an exhilarating experience.