Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman

It's easy to see why this great book won the 1994 Cuffie award for "Most Likely to Succeed in Years Ahead". This adorable story, told primarily through pictures, has been one of our favorites right from the beginning. As the zookeeper goes from cage to cage telling each animal goodnight, a sneaky gorilla follows behind letting each out. They follow him back to his home and try to settle in for a good night's sleep. When Seth was a baby, each time we would read this book he woud let out an adorable gasp - he was as shocked as the zookeeper's wife when her goodnight recieved seven replies.

When Seth asked for this book the other night I wasn't sure if he'd be into it, but he still loves it. When we got to the part where the zookeeper's wife turnes on the light and reveals all of the animals in her room, he asked why the gorilla was smiling. We had a lot of fun learning what "Cold Busted" means!

We also enjoy Officer Buckle and Gloria and 10 Minutes Till Bedtime by this talented writer/illustrator.

Barron's Little Animal Series by Francois Crozat

We love this sweet and charming series that depicts the lives of baby animals. So far we have I am a Little Monkey, I am a Little Dog and I am a Little Elephant. Of course, the monkey is our favorite. Seth loves to get ready to go to sleep as he hears about the monkey learning to peel bananas, playing with his siblings and falling asleep in his mother's arms as he listens to the sounds of the jungle.

So Say The Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan

Seth LOVES reading books. He has since he was tiny and I hope it is the beginning of a life long affair. I want to remember all of the great books that he asks to read over and over. This is the first installation.

This fun rhymed retelling of a Brazilian folk tale had us at hello. I often find rhyming to get irritating, but this is done with grace and style. The tale of tiny monkeys who don't want to stop playing to build their shelter is full of fun onomatopoeia and beautiful illustrations by Yumi Heo. When the cold rainy night falls the monkeys lament their poor decisions as they shiver atop the pointy palms. But when the sun comes out the next day, the monkeys forget all about their discomfort the night before and play the day away. This fun book gives a great lesson on the importance of planning ahead.

Monkey Boy

The other day, we checked out the Monkey Joe's that just opened in town. Seth had so much fun! He bounced, slid, climbed, played ski ball and drew on a chalkboard wall. This was much more fun than a year ago, when we went to the Monkey Joe's in Charlotte and he had to be carried up the inflatables amidst a sea of screaming, pushing children. We even got to see our friends Brooke and Hunter, although it was hard to get a picture of Seth and Hunter together. They don't stay still very long! I'm sure we will be regulars at the new Monkey Joe's - the nap Seth takes afterward alone is worth the cost of admission!

Wee Tree

Seth really loved decorating the tree the other night but can't seem to keep his hands off of it! How can you blame him, with all of the pretty lights and shiny things? When we went to Hobby Lobby the other morning and I saw some mini trees and a light bulb went off. I bought Seth one of the trees and put a strand of 50 lights on it. I gave him all of the soft, wooden and sturdy ornaments and told him that it was his very own special tree. He loved the small size and the fact that he can decorate it however and as often as he likes. At first, he piled a bunch of felt snowmen near the top. And of course what is a Christmas tree without a monkey on it? He still is a bit tempted by the big tree, but I'm not so worried about our special ornaments plummeting to the ground. I don't brag about myself very often, but this just might be a stroke of genius!

Monkey Business

What is it about monkeys that children love so much? I think it must be that they can see so much of themselves in the way they play and interact. I don't think I have ever seen a child that is not fascinated by monkeys. Seth is certainly no exception. He is currently trying to amass the premier North American toy monkey collection. One of his favorite activities right now is to take his long armed plush monkeys and hang them about the house or - even better- in the bushes.

We have a zoo membership and use it on a regular basis. Although Seth loves all of the animals, "au-pa-tants" and "lineys" alike, the "munteys" are far and away his favorite. He could watch the Siamangs doing their acrobats on ape island all day - especially if they hooping and hollering about. At the end of each trip to the zoo, I ask Seth which animal he wants to see again before we leave. I already know his answer and off to ape island we go for one last glimpse. I think he even dreams about the monkeys at the zoo. One morning when Seth had climbed into our bed, both of us were barely awake and Seth, with little slits for eyes, looked up at me and sleepily said, "Want to see baboon the 'udder' (other) way."
Each day for story time, Seth gets to pick out which books he wants to read. More often then not "muntey boot" (monkey book) is among his selections. (I Am A Little Monkey by Francois Crozat - a birthday gift from Papa Roper.) He often pretends like he is a monkey. He swings fromany surface he can get a hold of and oohas and aahs around the house . Once, while sitting on Daddy's lap, he even pretended to clean bugs off Daddy and eat them - just like the monkeys in the book do! He gobbles up bananas and sometimes refers to himself as "Seth Monkey".
One day, we stumbled upon Curious George on PBS and Seth was instantly mesmarized. He often says "Want to watch muntey show" and likes to pile his monkeys and monkey pillows about him when he gets to watch.
Whatever it is about these funny creatures that fascinates Seth, I fully embrace it. Even though it seems at times to border on obsession, it represents the wonder and magic of childhood that lasts for such a short time.