Monkey Ono is a toy monkey who is very excited. It is Beach Day, the day when Monkey Ono’s owners are going to the beach. Monkey Ono is excited to stow away so that he can enjoy the fun of being at the beach. However, the bag that he stowed away in wasn’t one that was taken to the beach. Now Monkey Ono is trying to find a new way to get to the beach. Perhaps he can get the dog to take him, get flushed down the toilet to the beach, or be flung from the hammock to the beach. When all three of these plans do not work Monkey Ono becomes very glum. Until Monkey Ono and the pet dog, cat, and fish come up with a new plan for a Beach Day at home. He will lay in the dirt while soaking his feet in the bird bath while looking at the pet fish. Playing in the sand, getting your feet wet, and looking at fish are all part of Beach Day! This is a humorous tale of one determined toy monkey to enjoy the beach. The textured illustrations are delightful and will keep readers looking at details over and over again. Plus the child-like drawings of Monkey Ono’s plans will help youngsters relate to the grand plans of a kid (or in this case a toy) that are big on dreams though often not quite perfect in their execution. My first-grade son LOVES this book and clever Monkey Ono with his notebook of plans and diagrams, and the refrain of "Boom! Beach Day!" My son's class recently had a beach-themed day at school where they could bring towels, sunglasses, etc. and he brought MONKEY ONO, too. After his teacher read it to the kids, they asked her to read it again. As a teacher myself, I would definitely use this book as a springboard for planning, letting my students start their own planning notebooks--planning for writing, for summer activities, etc. The collage illustrations are bright and so well done--we seem to discover a new detail each time we read it. Highly recommended!
What do You think about Monkey Ono (2013)?
I really enjoyed the illustrations and Monkey's clever schemes.
—FallenStar17
Stuffed purple monkey wants to spend the day at the beach.
—nickalas
