Monkey and Me
A little girl and her stuffed animal, a monkey, cavort as she imagines and imitates a series of wild animals. The girl’s actions as she pretends to be each new beast can give rise to a guessing game for children, resolved when a turn of the page shows the actual animal mimicked: “Monkey and me, /  Monkey and me, / Monkey and me, / We went to see, / We went to see some . . . /  ELEPHANTS!” The rhythmic, patterned text reads aloud exceptionally well, though the story’s ending is a bit of a letdown. Still, the spare, expressive pencil drawings are charming, and the restrained use of watercolor washes heightens their effectiveness. This upbeat picture book has great read-aloud potential for responsive listening and extended play in storytimes. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Carolyn Phelan