Monkey Walk

PreS-Gr 1—This clever, nearly wordless picture book creates an adventure that includes a lesson on turning off devices and enjoying the world without ever becoming didactic. En route to the zoo, a cranky girl sits crammed between her twin toddler siblings, engrossed in her electronic device. Upon arrival, her oblivious mother takes a break from her phone to send the protagonist on the "monkey walk." Inside, a shaggy arm steals her hat. Next a trunk appears, distracting her while the arm takes her device, setting off a chain of wacky events as the child tries to get her device back. She succeeds but also learns a lesson. Smiling in the car home, she entertains her siblings with penguin puppets, the device ignored. Madden does a great job of moving the story along, incorporating comic-style boxes along with single pages and spreads to portray movement and propel the action. The understated humor in both the absurd story and the characters' reactions work perfectly, and her cartoonish style effectively represents the story's emotions.