The Monkey Who Wanted the Moon
PreS-Gr 1-Simia repeatedly runs into trouble as she explores her jungle home. Wanting everything she sees, the curious young monkey grabs a cactus, jaguar, snake, beehive, a bird's eggs, and a parrot's tail, each time suffering unpleasant consequences. Later, she picks a flower and becomes upset when it dies, steals a rock belonging to a group of other little monkeys, and finally decides she wants the moon all for herself. In the end, she reaches an understanding of her mother's lesson that, "You don't have to own things to enjoy them," and "Suddenly she [is] the happiest little monkey in the world." The didactic text is a bit too long and the ending is preachy, but children may still enjoy Simia's antics. The bright, colorful illustrations of her home and the creatures that inhabit it are nicely done, but in some instances the monkey's expressions don't match the text. An additional purchase.-Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.