Quick, Little Monkey!

by Sarah L. Thomson, Lita Judge (Illustrator)

When Little Monkey’s curiosity causes her to slip and fall to the dark, shadowy rainforest floor, she must hide—quick!—because an ocelot is looking for lunch. Thanks to Papa, Little Monkey knows just what to do to stay safe. And thanks to her own wit and speed, she escapes. But no sooner is she safe from the ocelot than she finds herself wrapped in the coils of an emerald tree boa. This exciting adventure will enthrall readers as Little Monkey faces one challenge after another and will also teach them about the fascinating lives of pygmy marmoset monkeys, the smallest monkeys in the world.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Family, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2016

About the author

Sarah L. Thomson has written over thirty books for young readers, including poetry, prose, fiction and nonfiction. Her recent books include Cub's BIG World, which School Library Journal called “a big must-have" and Deadly Flowers: A Ninja's Tale, which Booklist called “genuinely thrilling." She lives in Portland, Maine.

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alena and I both enjoyed this book. Little Monkey is cute. I like Lita Judge's illustrations. I like that Papa Monkey is the one who keeps Little Monkey safe from predators. It's also interesting to read the author's note at the end to learn more about pygmy marmosets.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this sweet book!
Little Monkey, a pygmy marmoset, gets life lessons from her Papa - hold tight, hide here, keep still. But it's when Little Monkey falls from her Papa does she have to remember and use these instructions.
Wonderful author's note at the end giving a bit more information about the pygmy marmoset and identifying the predators in the book by name.
Wonderful illustrations from the talented Lita Judge.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I used it with 1st grade. This would be a great choice for ESL because - verbs (and phrasal verbs) as target language (hide, hold tight, stay still, jump).

Students identified the predators in the story by drawing and labeling their drawings with words from the word bank (snake, bird etc.) Students also made a picture to show ways the marmoset stayed safe.

The video of the pygmy marmoset was a great hook.

[Christine Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little monkey loves flying through the trees in the jungle, safe on Papa's back. But when he falls off and goes down, down, down, will he be able to get away from the hungry lion or the terrifying snake?

Author Sarah L. Thomson provides an Author's Note at the back of the book that explains the story is about pygmy marmoset monkeys. She gives a few facts about these interesting creatures that will be sure to interest youngsters.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story follows a little pygmy marmoset / monkey as it moves through its habitat rain forest. The monkey is very small and must hide from animals that would eat it and ride with parent. The monkey is able to move quickly and dodge the predators. Good rain forest type story when studying habitats in elementary school or just for the fun story about baby in the rain forest.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Monkey learns to hold tight to her papa in the treetops. He teaches her to climb and fly from branch to branch. But when she accidentally grabs a snake, papa scoops her up and they fly to safety to another branch. Backmatter paragraph about pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Monkey is safe with Papa Monkey. But when she falls out of the canopy, there is danger all around. Luckily, she's quick enough to leap to safety until she can find her Papa again.

Adorable illustrations.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little pygmy marmoset monkey flies through the trees on her father's back. When she's told to stay still and hidden in a tree, she eventually forgets and falls into a scary place. Daddy to the rescue. Beautiful illustrations.

[Jessica Orona]

I like the illustrations in the book, I love watercolor it just looks so pretty to me. The pictures cover the entire page. The story is a little suspenseful as you're hoping the little monkey makes it back to the top of the tree.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a little pygmy monkey traveling through the forest on her father's back. When she slips and gets lost, she has to use the skills her dad has taught her to survive. A decent addition to a preschool story time.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit scary for kids (there are predators) but great illustrations

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning to climb, hide, be still etc. Pygmy marmoset falls. Has to escape. Dad helps rescue. Back to his world in the top.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, simple, lively, and fun! Little readers will love Little Monkey!

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely lyrical language and a simple non-fiction story that the youngest listeners can enjoy. Beautiful illustrations!

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that explores feelings of fear and relief.

[frogfairie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Andrés · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling and high anxiety plot. Reminded me of bunnies trying to survive in Hop. I enjoyed seeing how Little Monkey overcame threats, often independently, with training from a parent.

[Taylor Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The monkey is adorable. I like how some parts of the story rhyme but not the whole story.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a story that reminds me of Stellaluna (by Janell Cannon), we meet Little Monkey. She travels through forest, swinging on vines, leaping onto branches, while clinging to Papa's back. He teaches her how to hide from black hawk-eagles flying overhead, ocelots stalking through the trees, or emerald tree boas slithering along the tree limbs. Little Monkey has a close call with several predators when she slips from her hiding place and falls to the forest floor, the suspense keeps us turning the pages breathlessly to see how things end.

Sarah Thomson has created an introduction to the world of pygmy marmosets that shows the habitat and dangers. She also shows the care and protection given to the young monkeys by their parents, especially their fathers. Lita Judge's pencil and watercolor illustrations show the thick branches and ropy vines, the brightly colored butterflies and birds, and the wide-eyed curiosity of the little marmoset. The return of Little Monkey and Papa to the rest of the marmosets, with the beautiful parrots flying overhead, is a triumphant scene.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.

[Ro Menendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introducing young readers to food chains can sometimes be a struggle when the animal on the lowest level is cute and fluffy! Quick, Little Monkey! is a primer in food chains with a happy ending. The little monkey in this story learns from her papa how to protect herself from the dangers of the forest. When Little Monkey finds herself alone she faces and escapes different predators, which will allow young readers to have conversations with their adults about the famous "circle of life", and the purpose of members of a food chain in the well being of their habitat. The illustrator infuses illustrations with movement and foreshadowing adding to the suspense of the dangers that lurk for little monkey and the possible outcomes before turning the page. An Author's Note gives concise information on Little Monkey's species, pygmy marmoset, and some of it's physical and social attributes.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful soft, vibrant watercolors filled with emotions. The text is simple and swirls through the illustrations to create a beautiful reader experience. Little Monkey is having a wonderful time hanging with her dad...until she reaches for a butterfly "a flower" which "spread bright wings to float away" and she loses her grip on Dad and "tumbled and fell out of the world." Although she is scared, she manages to remember everything that her Dad taught her and she avoids several predators and is finally, happily reunited with Dad. There are end notes that tell the reader more about Pygmy marmosets (Did you know that they are the world's smallest monkey?) and their predators. Great for a Storytime about Dad's...or anytime!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little pygmy marmoset must keep safe from predators by staying still and quiet, but curiosity gets her into some trouble. Thankfully, Papa Monkey is there to save the day.

Told in lyrical text, Little Monkey's adventure introduces readers to some of the amazing creatures found in a South American jungle. Little Monkey is adorable and her world is vibrantly illustrated. This should enthrall little animal lovers and is a great introduction to some of the wildlife in South American jungles. Make sure to read the author's note which identifies the animals and location. It would also be a great Father's Day read since Papa Monkey is the one taking care of Little Monkey (true to the habits of pygmy marmosets if you read the author's note).

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the help of his father, Little Monkey escapes danger at the hands of a black-hawk eagle, an ocelot, and an emerald tree boa in a South American forest.

An author's note provides brief info about pygmy marmosets (the main characters in this book) as well as info about their predators, and habitat.

Graphite pencil and watercolor illustrations. PreK-2.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the language in this story. And the pictures! The pictures!!! Little Monkey is ADORABLE! Also, I loved the bit in the back that tells more about pygmy marmosets. There is danger, though. If you are reading to a very sensitive little one, it could get a little scary. I'm considering using it for preschool storytime. We'll see.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous Lita Judge artwork, but the multiple panels on some pages and the details of the art make this less useful for story times for groups. This is a lap book-but Little Monkey is in scary situations in several spots, so it might not be for sensitive children. Or for my sensitive assistant, who isn't fond of snakes :D

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I read "Flight School" a few years ago, I've become a fan of Lita Judge's books, and this one adds to her list of fun books. Greens and browns take us into the jungle and help the reader look carefully for hidden dangers.
Thompson's text is amusing and suspenseful. As soon as Papa says, "Hold tight" we start holding our breath!

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pygmy marmosets are adorable, and I got really caught up in the illustrations of this book. The story was pretty straightforward - Little Monkey gets into a scrape, but remembers the lessons her dad taught her, keeps her cool, and gets out of danger.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good NF for young readers. Learn interesting facts about the pygmy marmoset monkey in an exciting incident where the baby monkey's curiosity puts her in danger. Predator/prey, jungle habitat. Letter Q.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful picture book for preschoolers with just a touch of danger.

[Anna Fillmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exciting! Scary! And features a papa monkey in a (real life) caretaking role. That's nice.