Monkey's Friends

by Ruth Brown

A brand new picture book from the acclaimed Ruth Brown, packed full of animal friends for young children to discover!

Monkey is going for a walk. Along the way he meets some friends. Can you guess who he will meet next? There might be some clues in the pictures!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 7, 2011

About the author

Born in 1941, Ruth Brown is the creator of some of Britain's best loved children's books. She has created a great many picture books for Andersen Press and is highly respected as an author and illustrator.
She attended Bournemouth College of Art, 1957–59; Birmingham College of Art, degree (with first-class honors), 1961; Royal College of Art, M.A., 1964.
She is married to artist Ken Brown and they have two grown-up sons and one grandchild.

Reviews

[J9 · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is just something about Ruth Brown's illustrations that I absolutely love. Dark, kind of creepy...flowing water colors...I'm just not sure, but this is always my favorite part of her books. For my kids, they loved the lift flaps in this one. The animal always just partly hidden, it was fun to guess just what animal it was. My 5 yr old and 3 yr old twins both got a kick out of this one.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used in Jungle Storytime, March 2019.

Very cute. The kiddos liked it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In rhyming text, a monkey travels through the jungle, meeting plenty of friends along the way. The right-hand pages have flaps that, once lifted, reveal the animal he is encountering, no longer hidden in the leaves. Children will love lifting those flaps so they can see a kangaroo, an elephant, a crocodile, and more. This title would be most useful shared in small groups or maybe one on one so the readers can examine the brightly-hued and intricate illustrations closely. I liked how all the animals send Monkey off to bed with an enthusiastic "Goodnight."

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 3-6. Great for Jungle/Safari storytime. Monkey walks through the forest and meets other animals. little flaps reveal the next animal, and a hint is given in the form of a rhyme and pieces or parts of the animal hidden in the shrubbery. Good for early literacy skills. Only downside-- the pictures are a little too busy, and it may be hard for children to see in a storytime setting.

[Laura McLoughlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The kids enjoyed this one more than I did, but they are the target audience. Some of the rhymes are very forced (chameleon and fun, for example) and I'm pretty sure that those animals do not live in the same place, this bothered me more than it really should have. But the kids enjoyed guessing what animal the monkey was saying hello to, so there is that.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monkey goes for a walk, greeting other animals he meets. The rhyming lines set up the lift-the-flap reveal of the hidden friend. Simple and fun, appropriate for toddlers. Illustrations are a bit busy, but still works.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intricately illustrated story, with simple storyline. Illustrations better suited to sharing one-on-one than to a group in storytime.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively, colorful fun.

[Marilyn Pohlmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids had fun guessing what animal is next!

[Dustie · Rating 5 out of 5]

pb30: This book is a really cute friendship book. Kids will enjoy trying to guess who the monkey's next friend will be.

[Carter Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really liked the pictures and liked to guess what the animals were that were hidden behind each flap!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for preschoolers. Use the pictures to predict which friend monkey will see next.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for sharing

[Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monkey travels through the jungle to meet his old friends.