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Monkey's Sandwich by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox (view source)
Revision as of 19:37, 29 August 2020
, 19:37, 29 August 2020no edit summary
Setting your story in a jungle is a children's book cliché, but it's tales like ''Monkey's Sandwich'' that shows why the deep woods are so popular. ''Sandwich'' is full of fun creatures and none more so that Monkey himself, a hapless scamp who is too clueless to realise that taking food without asking is not the done thing. Visually, this is one book that 2-6 year olds will love. Fox has filled each page with colour, but there's more than just trees and vines here. The setting is a town within the jungle, so you also get to enjoy what all the different animal's houses look like, from Mouse's small abode in a tree stump, to Elephant's White House like mansion.
The drawings in ''Sandwich'' are instantly likable likeable - especially Monkey who is a roly-poly cutie. However, it's Robinson's words that refuse to take a back seat and make the book even more fun. Creating a rhythmical book for children is not as easy as some would imagine. I've read plenty of clunky rhyming couplets in my time. The story of Monkey and his sandwich bops along at a perfect pace and is just nice to speak out loud. This helps to grab your child's attention, but it also means that the book has a sing song feel to it.
The words and rhythm are one thing; another is the story. The setup is simple, but clever. You get to see all the different foods that Monkey gathers, but also how all his friends' react once they realise their food is gone. In particular there is a funny ending to the story that means our Monkey friend gets his comeuppance and the reader realises that taking something without asking is not good.