Caps for Sale and the Mindful Monkeys

PreS-Gr 1—In this companion piece to the beloved Caps for Sale, the mischievous monkeys return to teach the peddler an important lesson about the value of mindfulness. This time the monkeys use their knack for mimicry to help, rather than hinder, the peddler's work. Irritated by the monkeys' habit of following him around, the peddler turns to his friend Essie—a character modeled after Slobodkina herself—who suggests that they may prove to be his friends. True to Essie's word, one day the peddler doesn't have time to make caps, and the monkeys spend all night copying his movements to prepare the caps themselves. The striking, abstract, folk-style images of the monkeys, the caps, the peddler, and even the white tree will be familiar to fans of Caps for Sale. Rhythmic text, repetitive phrases, and predictive questions will engage young readers, and older fans of Slobodkina's work will enjoy the back matter, which offers a history of the book's creation and its connection to the classic tale.