Monkey See, Monkey Zoo

Gr 3—4—Willa the monkey lives at the zoo, which she likes well enough, but she has a nagging desire to know what lies beyond the Monkey Pit. One day, she has a reason to act when a child visitor leaves his backpack behind. Willa wants to return it, but she also thinks: "I suddenly want, more than anything, to know what's on the other side." So begins her wild adventure in the Human City. Readers will be in suspense wondering if the monkey will succeed in returning the backpack, and if she will emerge from her journey unscathed. Told from Willa's perspective, the story snaps right along with one close call after another. However, unremarkable writing and logical inconsistencies (the monkeys speak in their own language but can still understand English) detract from the story. Another concern is that the subject matter may be too babyish for the children able to read the text. Not an essential purchase by any means, but possibly a consideration for libraries in which other books in the series are popular.—Amy Holland, Hamlin Public Library, Rochester, NY