SEVEN SPUNKY MONKEYS

Koller and Munsinger are up to their monkey tricks again, with the same joyful wordplay and high-spirited artwork they brought to One Monkey Too Many (1999). Here, instead of a growing number of monkeys, they are dropping off, one by one, as the days of the week progress and as members of the tribe find love interests: “The beautiful assistant smiled / and blew a little kiss . . . / and when the monkeys left, / instead of seven, there were six.” On down to none by Saturday, yet soon enough the original seven are back together, now with mates and little ones. Though the fun with counting is an added plus, the beauty of this is the harmony of art to word, both of which are delirious and soaring, with great honks of laughter that are music to the ears. (Picture book. 3-7)