So Say the Little Monkeys by Nancy Van Laan

So Say The Little Monkeys by: Nancy Van Laan and pictures by Yumi Heo
..."A Note About the Story"..."In Brazil, a huge country in South America, there are many rivers. Second in size to the Amazon is the Rio Negro, the Black River, which got its name from its dark waters, black as coal. In the trees along its banks live tiny monkeys, which the Indians call "blackmouths." Their mouths are as dark as the waters of the river. These monkeys live in the tall palms which are full of sharp thorns. Unlike the birds, the monkeys do not make any type of permanent home. Even though the thorns must be very uncomfortable, they sleep on top of them each night. The Indians who live there created an amusing tale to explain why this is so." This is a little bit of insight from the author on the background of this book. I thought it was pretty pertinent to give a little bit of explanation to the story. I really like this book because you can really show some personality when reading it to students. For example, the book includes phrases such as, " Jump, Jabba Jabba, Run, Jabba Jabba...." I feel like you can just envision the monkeys saying such things, even if it is nonsense phrases. This book basically is about monkeys that like to play all day when they are supposed to be building a warm nest to sleep in. I think you can also really relate it to students by asking them what may happen if they constantly play and choose not to get some of their work done. It can really bring up conversation about the concept of cause and effect for some students.