10 Little Sock Monkeys

by Harriet Ziefert, William B. Winburn (Illustrator)

Ten little monkeys swinging on a bar; two let go and didn't fall far. It's a jungle gym in here, for 10 sock monkeys having a swinging time. Two by two, these increasingly popular and adorable creatures drop away, while all the rest continue to play. They're posed in exuberant, energetic positions, waving their arms, bodies upside down, and flying around. And when they're on the ground, they manage to keep on swinging, dancing, and bopping in their own special way. Kids will want to join in the fun.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

24 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2005

About the author

Harriet Ziefert grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University.

For many years, Ziefert was an elementary school teacher. She taught most grades from kindergarten to fifth grade. "I liked it," she said, but she stopped teaching when she had her own sons. When her children were older, Ziefert wanted "a bigger arena" for her work. She went to work at a publishing company, Scholastic in New York City, developing materials for teacher's guides for kindergarten language arts and social studies programs.

"About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year.

Reviews

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 Little Sock Monkeys is a counting concept book starring the ever lovable and relatable sock monkeys. Ten sock monkeys are swinging on monkey bars falling off in groups of two until none are left swinging. Rather than using illustrations, the story is told through simple text and real life pictures of posed and seemingly handmade sock monkeys.

While the concept of using sock monkeys in a counting book is intriguing, the execution of this book somehow falls flat. Since most children are familiar with the rhyme "Five little monkeys jumping on a bed", I'm not sure why the author chose to use ten sock monkeys instead of five. I don't feel that infants and toddlers are likely to grasp the concept of counting by twos, but I can see how this book might appeal to preschool age children.

[Reader]

I really liked this book when completing assignments for my class. I think it is a great book to incorporate into a lesson plan or if your student/ child is struggling with a subject. One mathematical concept is counting backward, the book follows a countdown from 10 to 1, helping children practice counting in reverse. The book combines verbal, visual, and symbolic representations of subtraction. As each monkey disappears, students can see and discuss the decrease in numbers, supporting a deeper understanding of subtraction. The predictable, repetitive pattern of the story provides natural scaffolding, helping students build confidence as they move from counting objects to more abstract subtraction concepts. Students engage in problem-solving by predicting how many monkeys will remain, fostering logical thinking and reasoning. I would like to incorporate this book into my future classroom someday to help students with subtraction and problem-solving.

[Kinkin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was published on April 1st. That makes sense. It had to be a joke, "Let's show people will buy and like anything, even a book that isn't clever, and doesn't rhyme. It can even be super repetitive and cut short by counting by 2s." It was a stupid book, a waste of time, energy, and money. So many other great books to choose from. Don't waste your time on this.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Subtracting by 2's

[Vicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. I wanted it to be fun and it was anything but that! It was actually boring and I'm sure children would agree. There were so many other ways this book could have been better, like having the sock monkeys in a different place each time. It was cute photos of sock monkeys against a blah storyline.

[Susannah]

miles loves monkeys, and my obsession with them certainly doesn't hinder matters. i love books that combine counting and humor so effortlessly. a well-written children's book is a welcome find, indeed.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a fun little book that teaches kids to subtract by 2's from 10. My son likes to read it, probably because I kind of sing it. I bought it from amazon for a sock monkey birthday party. I was a little disappointed, but at least we've read it a few times.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

teehee

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

If there was a hate description available, I would have picked it. Ralph hated this book. He found it insulting! lol.

[Sandybear76 · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute sock monkeys. a good book to learn 2's.

[Jennifer Conrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for counting and simple math skills (subtraction and addition). There isn't much plot, though.

[Amy Mccarty]

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[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son read this book to my daughter. They both enjoyed it. I liked the simplicity of the book. It was just right for an early reader who requires only a little help on 2sw.

[Meghan Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the photographs of the sock monkeys, but I thought the text was boring.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

clear, active photos to support easy rhyming text.