Putting the Monkeys to Bed

April 27, 2015
Having explored shyness and insecurity in picture books like Louder, Lili and A Giant Crush, Choldenko turns her attention to a boy whose mind won’t stop racing. After reading a story with Mama, it’s bedtime for Sam, but when she leaves the room, a trio of monkeys spring to life; one is dressed like an organ grinder’s monkey, another wears a leopard-print dress, and the third is a sock monkey. Rowdy shenanigans ensue (“They smash and bash and crash-crash-crash”), as do loud complaints from Mama. In characteristically exaggerated cartoons, Davis (Peanut Butter and Homework) has fun picturing both the rambunctiousness that Sam and the monkeys get up to and the torrent of questions that keep him awake (“Do pirates sleep with their eye patches on?”). The monkeys are basically an externalization of the jitters plaguing Sam, and Choldenko’s buzzy narration itself quiets as Sam uses breathing techniques and reads to the monkeys on his way to falling asleep—self-calming techniques that many readers may find helpful themselves. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown.

March 1, 2015
Those monkeys just don't want to sleep!Snuggled in bed with his three stuffed monkeys, Sam asks his mother if he would have to go to sleep if he were a monkey. In answer, she tucks him in after reading him his favorite book-but once she leaves, his stuffed monkeys come to life and want to jump around. "They smash and bash and crash-crash-crash until all balls have been bounced and all trains have been trounced." Mama warns him to get back in bed, and he does, but his mind teems with questions: "Do fish go to bed in their bathing suits?" Mama says she'll answer his questions in the morning. He tries his breathing exercises, but the monkeys turn it into a "ping-pong song" and "the French ding-dong song." Mind and monkeys still working overtime, Sam tricks the lively stuffed animals into listening to his book, and they all drift off. Choldenko's tale of bedtime bounciness reads like something a parent might make up on the spur of the moment to quiet a restless child. Imaginative, restless tots might recognize themselves in Sam, but their imaginations are probably a bit more original and outlandish than his. Even Davis' frenetic and funny watercolors can't mitigate the story's extemporaneous feel.With bedtime-story shelves bursting, this is one that can be set aside. (Picture book. 2-5)

June 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Sam is a curious boy, whose mother has tucked him in for the night, yet he can't help but wonder about how and where other people and creatures sleep. As he yells for his mother to ask more questions, his toy monkeys come to life and cause a ruckus. Sam tries his best to quiet his mind and go to sleep, even doing some breathing exercises. Yet, it is only when he pulls out a bedtime story that he is able to calm himself and the monkeys and drift off to slumber. Choldenko's story is funny, if at times potentially confusing, though perfectly capturing Sam's wandering mind. The illustrations are fun, with bold movement lines indicating a chaotic and hectic bedtime frenzy, and monkeys that just won't quit. The speech bubbles between Sam and his mother come in big, comic book-style bursts, adding humor. VERDICT This lovely story about the power of books to help calm and focus would make a fun bedtime story for lots of families.-Kaitlin Connors, Virginia Beach Public Library

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