Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

March 10, 1989
In this zany cumulative verse, five silly simian siblings insist on bedtime mayhem, and--heedless of the doctor's admonition--each suffers the same injury. Ages 3-8.

July 1, 1989
PreS-Gr 1- In a brief prelude to the title rhyme, five little monkeys ready themselves for bed, and say goodnight to their mother. Then, really getting down to business, they launch into some serious bed-jumping. Young children familiar with this popular finger play will appreciate Christelow's incorrigible monkeys, jumping with abandon, oblivious to the repeated warning: "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" Newcomers will find the rhyme a delightful discovery which begs to be repeated. With each successive casualty, mother monkey dutifully consults the doctor, and bandages the wounds. Finally, all five battle-weary monkey children are asleep, and mother can go to bed. Colored pencil drawings in soft pastels depict the totally silly but lovable monkey family and its doctor. This is a natural for younger story hours, and can also be used with beginning readers. Whether sublimely happy or ridiculously goofy, Christelow's expressive monkeys pack a lot of appeal. -Corinne Camarata, Port Washington Public Library, N.Y.