LITTLE MONKEY’S ONE SAFE PLACE

An adorable jungle swinger learns a valuable lesson. After a day of play, frolicsome Little Monkey is scared out of a blissful sleep by a storm. He scampers to his mother’s arms. When she reassures him that he’ll always have one safe place, he doesn’t understand, so she sends him off to discover that safe place for himself. The richly detailed illustrations resemble pencil drawings, with a muted color palette that evokes gentle warmth, even in the jungle setting. Little Monkey explores a hollow tree, a river and a dark cave—finding a snake, a crocodile and a ferocious feline, respectively—before he returns tearfully to mother. She tells him what the young listener has probably already learned by now, that her arms are his one safe place. Children should identify with Little Monkey’s curiosity and enjoy his adventure, but the story would have been stronger if Little Monkey learned his lesson himself as a result of his journey. (Picture book. 3-6)