Chimpanzees for Tea!

by Jo Empson

A silly, fun version of the game "telephone"—in which a grocery list committed to memory goes playfully awry.

One day, Vincent's mother asks him to go to the store to pick up a few "a bunch of carrots, a box of rice, some China tea, a big, firm pear, and a tin of peas" to be precise. "And hurry home in time for tea!" she says. Sounds easy enough.

Yet distractions are at every turn, causing havoc with Vincent's memory. All of a sudden, a tin of peas is replaced by a trapeze; a big, firm pear becomes a big furry bear; and a box of rice transforms into a box of mice!

Needless to say, Vincent's mother is in for quite a surprise.

Told with a playful rhythm for reading aloud and illustrated with exuberance and great child appeal, this humorous picture book will have kids laughing and asking for repeated readings.

Praise for Chimpanzees for Tea!

"British author-illustrator Jo Empson brings her wonderfully freewheeling, kinetic style to this lively read-aloud that will have youngsters giggling and shouting out the correct items from the list."— Shelf Awareness

"Award-winning British author/illustrator Empson energetically illustrates her tale of ever more outrageous memory lapses with scribbly watercolors full of swooping action and bouncing wildlife that follow the swirling text across the pages. As much fun to read as it is to hear, and a real treat for the eyes."— Kirkus Reviews

"With a wildly cavorting cast of characters [and] a playful text . . . this is hard to resist." — Booklist

"The humorous text makes this a perfect read-aloud for all ages and a great memory game to play with school-age kids."— School Library Journal

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Storytime, Childrens, Food, Tea

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2016

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well-paced and filled with breezy illustrations that suit the action. Unfortunately, it hews so closely to Pat Hutchins' Don't Forget the Bacon! that its hard to see much to distinguish the new book from the older one. Visually, they're very different--and the ending is slightly changed. But I see this as a storytime alternative, rather than a new wonderful book that stands all on its own.

[raccoon reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable picture book that builds upon rhyming to create a very silly story. The Nugget used to love it. Must've read it 40 times. It wasn't my favorite because I really kinda don't like those "there was an old woman who swallowed a whatever" type rhyming books, but what can I say? There's no accounting for taste in children. Ammiright?

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Vincent loses the grocery list, he must depend on his unreliable memory -- which turns out more like a wacky version of the telephone game. Young listeners will enjoy the rhythmic, repetitive wordplay; a fun read aloud.

[Maddie Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For magical reasons my bookstore magically had this one in stock (1. it isn't even out officially, and 2. it is in English, so lots of magic).

I saw this one on twitter and just knew I wanted to read this one a lot (yes, I am still a cover lover) so imagine my delight when I saw this one at my bookstore. :) And it sure was really nice, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment.

The book starts off with our main character having to do groceries for his mother. At first everything goes fine, he has a list to check, but then the list is blow away. The little kid does try his best to remember all he needs, but as he passes stuff he forgets and/or replaces what he needs with what he sees. And so the book goes on, each page detailing something he loses, and something he gains, and well then... well you will have to read the book. I am not going to say anything more.

I just loved what the little guy saw as he was on road to the store. It was so imaginative and so much fun, I just couldn't wait to flip the page to see where the kid would end up now, and who he would meet this time.

The ending was a bit of a disappointment mostly because it felt weird and out of place. I also had some expectations from the mother which didn't happen.

The art is pretty good, I really love how everything is drawn, how the backgrounds are made. The use of colours is perfect for this story, not too bright, but also not too faded.

I would recommend this book to everyone, it is a fun, hilarious book and you will be curious about what happens so you will keep on flipping the pages.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book! So very playful, dynamic, and whimsical! The illustrations are bold, colorful, and full of movement--like a blend of Yasmeen Ismail & Beatrice Alemagna. The interplay between the text and illustration is wonderful. Would be a SUPER storytime book!

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun picture book about Vincent, a little boy who loses his mother's grocery list on the way to the store. He tries to remember each item that she needs for teatime, with surprising results for all. Wonderful illustrations by the author!

[Danielle]

So much fun!!

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing play on rhymes and memory that shocks the little boy's mother.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone else said, a riff on the immortal Pat Hutchins Don't Forget the Bacon!. The art here is attractive, but it too is derivative, reminding me of John Burningham, and if you liked this book, his book The Shopping Basket is another tale of an errand running boy, though the animals there are less friendly. And if you don't recognize either of those authors, head for your library immediately!

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny book in which Vincent goes to the shop with a list which he loses and has to remember all the items. Each time he sees somebody he tells them why he is going to the shops and mistakes another item off the list for something it rhymes with e.g. a box of rice for a box of mice. Could be a fun book to read and recreate with children, getting the children to come up with things that rhyme based on a shopping list. This could be done through discussion, to begin with, and then extended to a written task. A fun book for FS-year 3 children.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A grocery list gone awry, totally wacky, and just about as garbled as any message conveyed through the game called "Telephone"! That's the treat in store, as Vincent's mother gives her boy a pretty darned complicated shopping list. After his written-down list blows away...

Plenty of repetition follows, along with plenty of laughs. For example:

a Box of Mice,
some Chimpanzees,
a Big Furry Bear,
a Trapeeze
and hurry home in time for tea

FIVE STARS and thanks for this delightful book and pictured world, all courtesy of Jo Empson.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

When authors write books that mimic other authors' material it simply disappoints me. It is easy enough to research what has already been published to see if something similar is out there. This book reads too close to Pat Hutchin's book, Don't Forget the Bacon. Publishing blunder. The illustrations are fun and very distinct, though.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aw, that was cute. I think I needed a cute, simple book today. A little boy goes out with a shopping list from his mom. When he loses the list, though, he tries to recall it from memory and ends up coming back with all sorts of silly things (a "big furry bear" instead of a "big firm pear," etc, haha).

[Amanda Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun and cute read. Vincent must hurry to the store get carrots, box of mice, a trapeez, a big furry bear, and hurry home for tea. This book has a lot of repetition which I thought was nice fore kids. ALso the illustrations are very colorful and neat. THey have alot going on to keep the children engaged.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little boy is sent to the shops by his mom with a list but he looses the list. Will eh remember all the items or will he come home with others. Fun and whimsical like a game of telephone when you were a kid. Loved the ending. Toddler and up.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when a young boy forgets his grocery list? He ends up bringing home a circus! Cute premise, silly illustrations - this book was a fun read for both my daughter and me. An Imagination Library book for 3 year olds.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The evolution of a lost but remembered shopping list leads to a far more interesting party. Empson’s energetic and playful illustrations are a great pairing for for the narrative that goes off the rails.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book! Preschoolers up to 1st/2nd grade would find it endearing. A young boy is given a list of things to get at the grocery to be home in time for tea and along the way, the list is whisked away by the brisk breeze and he is left trying his best to remember the items.

[Marfita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rip-off of Don't Forget the Bacon, although with a different ending. Child sent on errand loses the list and is confused by what he sees into bringing home a menagerie instead of groceries. Har har. Illustrations lively.

[Marcela Zuluaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rate this book with a five stars!
I completely enjoyed reading this story. The way the author made a connection with the words on the list and the result of the boy finding different creatures is fantastic!
I also love the books name

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very similar to another book I had just read. A boy is sent to the store but loses his mother's list, and soon he is getting wild things instead of the list items. Pictures were okay. I didn't really care for the ending.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun! I truly never knew what was coming next, but I loved the art style. There was so much to look at throughout the pages. I also liked that there was such a diverse group of characters. A very quick and easy read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be a bit biased but Vin and I enjoyed reading about a little boy named Vincent who had to run around and get things off a list his mother gave him for their afternoon tea.

[Rebecca Durrant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vincent loses his mother's grocery list and tries to remember what to pick up for tea. Adorable.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proof that you should put the grocery list in your pocket! Energetic illustrations.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pictures are really fun and pretty but the story did not hold my interest or my preschooler's. Our favorite part was the ending.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly story set up like the telephone game. Kids laughed at the silliness of some of the "items" the main character needed to pick up for tea time.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that is nice and short to the point but it shows the kids the way to be at a tea party.