One Monkey Too Many

by Jackie French Koller and Lynn Munsinger (Harcourt, 1999. ISBN 0152000062. Order Online, Library Binding.)

Review

One Monkey Too Many is a combination counting and story book done in playful rhyme with pictures that suit it perfectly. A bear offers a bicycle to one monkey stating that it's just right for one monkey but not for two. Peering from behind the bear is a second monkey which gives no doubt how long that rule will hold. The second monkey jumps on board and, for a time the two monkeys on the one monkey bike do all right. That's when they hit the bump in the road. The golf cart would be better for two they are told but not for three. So here comes the third monkey. And so it goes through a canoe, a restaurant table for four, a bed for five, and a too many monkey visit to the author at the end. This is a book for the youngest in which both the text and the illustrations are necessary to figure out what's going on here. The math connection is obvious and that little bit about the author at the end can lead to this or any other author study.

Related Areas of Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site

• Anno's Counting Book. Book Review.
• Anno's Counting House. Book Review.
• The Napping House. Featured book with activities and links. Another cumulative book.
• First Steps by Burningham, John. Book Review. A Counting Book
• The Very Hungrey Caterpiller by Eric Carle. Book Review. A Counting Book.
• Information on Jackie French Koller's The Primrose Way.
• Information on Jackie French Koller's Fish Fry Tonight.
• Information on Lynn Munsinger's One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme.
• Math and Children's Literature.

Related Areas on Internet

• Jackie French Koller's Web Site.
• Amazon.com Bookstore's listing of Jackie French Koller's books.