PreS-Gr 4-Kids will jump right into this rip-roaring flip book-paced tale. A monkey, sitting chin-on-fist on a corner of land, eyes an inaccessible bunch of bananas on another piece of land across a strait. Wordlessly, the story begins: the monkey dips his toe to test the water; he cautiously walks in up to his belly (wordless top half panel); he smiles, realizing it is not too deep (wordless bottom half panel). "The monkey. The shark," reads the next spread, with the monkey paralyzed, dumbfounded, face to fin with the shark. "THE SHARK!" is the cry on the subsequent spread, and the monkey is running for his life back to shore, off the left page, in a full close-up. Action is king here, the characters and props named only with labels. The cartoon style is both hilarious and fresh, with smudgy charcoal lines and a soft, painterly touch executed by the heavy use of the digital blurring brush. Juxtaposed with the humor and emotional toll, the monkey's problem-solving processes and perseverance triumph and will inspire kids to think. The plot thickens, and the pace speeds up as obstacles mount and the battle ensues between the shark and the monkey, all told visually with labels. Whereas most children's books end with the protagonist winning, this slapstick ending pushes our comfort level. Don't lose out on the fun of sharing this two-dimensional enactment of the old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention."-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This nearly wordless picture book opens with a visually clear dilemma: the monkey sits on one island, and the bananas sit on another, separated by a large body of water. Expressive cartoon illustrations in panels with bold outlines and bright colors play up the comedy and action as the text introduces key plot points through scene-labeling reminiscent of a slapstick silent film: "THE MONKEY!"; "THE BANANAS!"; "THE SHARK"; "THE SHARK!" The energetic, exaggerated art uses size, space, and proportion to ramp up tension as each progressively more complicated effort to reach the bananas fails and nearly does the monkey in ("Chomp!"). Ultimately, the monkey survives and even obtains one of those hard-earned bananas, but the only real satisfaction falls to the shark. Crafted to generate shrieks of laughter alongside shrieks of alarm, this book with its specific words and repetition could appeal as easily to individual beginning readers as to a storytime audience of listeners. julie roach (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Minimalism rules in this story of a monkey stuck on one island but determined to eat the bananas on the opposite island. A mere 51 words (all nouns no verbs required) are employed to tell the tale of monkey see, monkey plot. The sparse text is complemented by Raymundo's remarkably expressive illustrations, which showcase his storyboarding credentials by transmitting a whole lot without a whole lot of brushstrokes a lowered brow here, a bead of sweat there each detail worth a thousand words. There is a slapstick element to the humor (the monkey is flung around with some regularity), which will resonate with readers as they turn each page to see what the monkey will try next. Throw in an opportunistic shark with an empty belly, and the pieces are in place for a laugh-out-loud story that should earn plenty of repeat readings.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2010 Booklist