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Synopsis
A rollicking tale about a group of Monkeys who just want to have fun!
Marilyn Bousquin
Seven mischievous monkeys wreak havoc as "one monkey too many" climbs first onto a bike made for one, then into a golf cart for two, then into a canoe for three, and so on. The two monkeys on the bike crash into a ditch, the three monkeys in the golf cart splash into the lake, the four monkeys in the canoe drop over a waterfall. An infectious, rollercoaster rhythm sweeps us up ("'Yippee!' They all wiggled and giggled with glee. 'This cart made for two is fun-tastic for three!'") then lurches us forward so that even though we know what's coming ("'Oh no!' they exclaimed, as they jammed on the brake! One monkey too many splashed into the lake"), we're too caught up in the ride to want brakes of any kind. Pastel watercolors paint the monkeys in casual toddler clothes with innocent, nothin's-going-on-here facial expressions. But that's just the calm before the storm; Munsinger lets loose the mounting chaos with an unrestrained frenzy as she catapults monkeys, golf cart, canoe, oars, food, pillows, feathers and so much more across the page in full-blown hurricane fashion. Readers will appreciate the monkeys' undeterred nature: the rascals continually go back for more, hoodwinking the larger animals (adult-like lions and pigs) who dictate how many monkeys each scene can contain. Not even the author is spared a dose of monkey business when "one monkey too many" pulls a grand-finale gotcha that literally determines the uproarious fate of her book. -- Horn Book Magazine