A Troop Is a Group of Monkeys

by Julie Hedlund, Pamela Baron (Illustrator)

A surfeit of skunks, a troop of monkeys, a clutter of spiders these colorful and poetic words for animal groups are called collective nouns and children will learn all about them in this rhyming picture book by Julie Hedlund. With beautiful painted illustrations by Pamela Baron, each animal group is brought to life in color-splashed environments sure to fascinate any child. The magnificent illustrations and playful use of language make it perfect for design-savvy parents and inspired gift givers. First published as a series of interactive book apps for the iPad, A Troop is a Group of Monkeys has received much industry praise and was included in the Top 50 Apps for Kids in 2013.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Julie Hedlund is an award-winning children's book author. Her latest book is OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? (Philomel, 2021). SONG AFTER SONG: THE MUSICAL LIFE OF JULIE ANDREWS (Little Bee Books, 2023) releases September 5, 2023. She is also the author of, MY LOVE FOR YOU IS THE SUN, and A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS. reading, writing, or traveling, Julie is busy writing more books and visiting with the kids who read them at schools and libraries.

Reviews

[Vivian Kirkfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young kids love picture books! As a former kindergarten teacher and a mom and grandmother, I want a picture book to be entertaining. I'd also like it to be educational. I need the illustrations to be bold, vivid and fun!

A Troop is a Group of Monkeys gets FIVE STARS in every category. My five-year old grandson loved the beautiful language the author uses - and so did I. We both learned new collective nouns for many of the animal groups. I did not know that a bunch of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope...how perfect!

As I turned the last page, Jeremy was already asking me to read it again. It is one of his favorite picture books! And mine!

This is a book for every parent or teacher who wants a book that will inspire a child and encourage him to become a lover of books and reading!

Vivian Kirkfield
Author of Show Me How! Build Your Child's Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking

[Julie Rowan-Zoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing I love more than a well-illustrated book that has interest for both parent and child. Learning new words through rhyme while enjoying bright whimsical illustrations!

[Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous picture book with color rich illustration and whimsical rhyme and rhythm describing animal groups. My granddaughter loves the book. Highly recommended! - Damon Dean

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brightly-colored illustrations and playful collective nouns make this a really beautiful picture book, perfect for reading aloud.

[Laurie Mekelburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has such rhyming and colorful words that any child would enjoy sounding them out. I especially enjoy the pictures that shows my grandchildren the animals we are reading about.

[Ed Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parent and teacher and lover of children's books, I'm always surprised and delighted when a book grabs my attention with its language and playfulness. Julie Hedlund's A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS does that and makes me wish I was still in the classroom. But I can still share this with my teacher friends and their young children and know it will be appreciated and reread multiple times.

Other reviews mention some factual issues with illustrations ( i.e. Asian camels in Africa), but I like the spirit of the pictures which to me mimic children's artwork and reinforce the language on each page. A parent or teacher can certainly use A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS as a jumping off point for their children's interest and questions, fueled by text that has rhythm and rhyme and playful alliterations that engage. The book should encourage speculations about animals as well as language. (What would you call a group of dragonflies? Do all camels look alike?)

Read A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS. Enjoy. Share it with friends, young and old.

[Carrie Charley Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

At long last, I finally seized my copy of Troop! (Thanks to my school district for putting an iPad in my hands!) My first grade class began a journey into living vs. nonliving and landed on the study of animal characteristics. Julie Hedlund's app was the perfect compliment as we ventured to the zoo. The sound effects put us right smack dab in the middle of each animal group! Who knew that a group of owls is a parliament and parrots are a pandemonium? I love the knowledge and rich vocabulary that my students have learned. We now have "troop names" for our reading groups! This app has not only motivated my students to read and research; the awesome illustrations have them begging to draw!

[Alinka Rutkowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that a group of owls is called a "parliament"? I didn't and I'm an author! But I do now. There are a lot of BIG words here (a little too many) so even parents will expand their vocabulary. This is a rhyming story with one line of text per page and the rhyme is very pleasant to the ear. My daughter loves to point out animals and make funny sounds and this book gives plenty of opportunities to do so.

The author even mentions a "gam of whales," which makes my heart sing as I am a big whale enthusiast (and author of Maya & Filippo Look for Whales).

[Pamela Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teacher of early learners, I know this book will spark amazing questions and ongoing conversations. How can it not? I mean, “A fever of stingrays? A cloud of grasshoppers?” Who would’ve guessed that a group of seahorses is actually called a herd? I love learning these collective nouns. What I know for sure is that children love learning new words as they explore their world. And this book certainly offers rich new words, page after page. I am already anticipating the excitement of reading this to the children in my class. This book will serve as a great resource and reference book. I am definitely adding this to my non-fiction collection.

[Tina Cho · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Troop Is a Group of Monkeys is a beautifully written picture book for young children. What child wouldn’t fall in love with the gorgeous colors on each page full of animals? Not only are the rhymes fun to say, but readers of all ages will learn collective nouns from this book. I would love to hang the illustrations on my wall! This book is perfect for little kids learning about animals and older kids who want to learn collective nouns for research. Excellent book by Julie Hedlund and Pamela Baron. I look forward to seeing the interactive app.

[Joanne Sher · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful read - and much to learn - of course, in a fun way. Julie Hedlund shares some fascinating names for groups of different animals (did you know that a group of peacocks is called an ostentation?), gives a bit of information on the animals, and does it all in light, rhyming, rhythmic text. The illustrations are gorgeous as well - and the book even meets Common Core standards. A lovely, fun book all around. Any kid (or adult!) would enjoy this, I think!

[Julie Grasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this vibrant picture book. The rhyme is delightful, but also very educational. I have to admit, I did not know even half of these collective nouns. Each animal is depicted in their home environment and I found myself as interested in the animal as much as their environment. This makes a great read aloud, as children learn to explore the variety of collective nouns, along with the a huge range of weird and wonderful animals that populate the vast world that we live in.

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With colorful illustrations and ear-pleasing rhymes, A Troop Is a Group of Monkeys is a fun and educational read-aloud picture book. I had no idea that a group of butterflies can be called a "kaleidoscope" or that the collective noun for skunks is "surfeit." Kids and adults alike will enjoy this book. I was half-expecting the book to end with interesting word(s) for a group of humans, but I also like the actual ending with its call to respect and protect wild animals.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids and I enjoy reading Troop together (and alone!) on the iPad. In the app version you can click on the animals to make them move - some in hilarious ways - and you can also enjoy animal sounds. The book itself is a great way for kids to learn about animal group names. (Oh, who are we kidding- I didn't know most of these!) Julie's word choice is lovely making each page a delight to read.

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines beautiful illustrations of animal families, delightful alliteration, and some of the funniest names for "groups" of animals you can imagine. Who knew they were a "smack" of jellyfish? The calming rhymes make this both a wonderful bedtime book and a story that teaches us all something new. It is definitely worthy of a place on our shelves.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very seldom give out 5 stars for books, but this one is a winner. I love picture books that are both entertaining and educational, without a child realizing it is educational. This is both. I love the rhyme and I had no idea that a group of flamingos was called a Flamboyance! But I think what captured my heart the most about this book was the ending, which I will not mention here.

[Saba N Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Troop is a Group of Monkeys is a great introduction to collective nouns for young children. Rhyming text, colorful and fun illustrations will have kids giggling and having fun saying some of the words. I enjoyed learning the various collective nouns in this book, some were quite unique, I never would have guessed many of them. :)

[Kirsti Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the ap and the hard cover version of A Troop is a Group of Monkeys. My kids want to read it over and over again and we're all learning while we read. The rhyme and meter is perfect and the illustrations are lovely. FANTASTIC read!

[Pam Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Julie Hedlund, and illustrator, Pamela Baron, have made this beautiful kids book. But it is not just for kids. It's for YOU, too. It's poetic; it's beautiful; and you'll love learning about animals (land & sea). BTW How would you describe a fever, a bale, a flamboyance, a flotilla?

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brightly-colored illustrations and playful collective nouns make this not only a beautiful picture book, but educational too. A perfect choice for reading aloud. Meets Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.1.A- Use collective nouns (e.g., group).

[Gretchen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though my children are basically out of picture books, they both love this one! At breakfast they were quizzing one another on the group names for animals. A beautiful, colorful, wonderful book, Troop is a must-have addition to every home library!

[Smschade · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I love the sing along app! I like children's books that expand their vocabulary and even older kids can turn this into a game and quiz each other. The music is fun, energetic and makes you want to sing along. In fact, sometimes my kids are not even around and I play it.

[Diane Kress Hower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great layering of new information and entertaining use of words makes Julie Hedlund's book a great addition to any home or school library. Lively art with strong use of color, line, and shape combined with the playful words makes this fun for the reader and the child on your lap.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and colorful book that teaches kids (and adults) different names for animal groupings. Educational and fun. I once dove in an ocean full of jellyfish and never before knew that a group of them was called a “smack”. Definitely worth a read!

[Danielle Dufayet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved the simplicity and it was so informative. I learned a lot! I especially loved the illustrations that conjured up warm feelings of "family". I can tell the author really loves and cares for the animals of the earth.

[Doreen Lepore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Hedlund shares her love of animals with this poetic picture book that introduces us to the family names of some of our favorite creatures. Pamela Baron’s brilliant watercolors make every page a feast for the eyes. I’m particularly fond of the flamboyance of flamingos!

[Lisa Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, Hedlund describes the different groups of animals with fun rhymes. Children love animals and funny word play. My daughter, fell in love with A SHIVER OF SHARKS, I am sure she will like this one too. The music and touch graphics also adds to the appeal.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parliaments, pandemoniums, and floats, OH MY! Collective nouns abound. Delightfully colorful illustrations and a soothing rhythm of words (&rhyme), make this a read and re-read kind of book. Both children and adult readers will find fulfillment in color, language, and learning.

[Shannon Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of poetic descriptions of groups of animals. I guarantee you and your child will learn something new!

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Great bedtime story and interesting for adults as well!