Ten Naughty Little Monkeys

ALA Booklist

"The way Watts portrays the monkeys...adds enormously to the fun."

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

After the first familiar stanza of this perennial childhood favorite rhyme, the author puts the monkeys in other activities where there is always a mishap. Keep an eye on the first little monkey who fell out of bed. She is the one with the flower in her hair. Astute readers will see that she is the instigator of the other follies. The countdown includes "Eight little monkeys/ Skating in the street," "Five little monkeys/ Hiking down the trail," and "Two little monkeys,/ Dressing up in clothes." Children will relate to all these activities and will enjoy the humor in the illustrations. The rhymes work well enough but often feel forced. This could, however, be just the device for a primary grade teacher to use to get her students creating rhymes of their own about the monkeys. There is lots of energy and fun monkey business going on in these pictures.

School Library Journal

PreS-K
Williams uses the old bouncing rhyme "10 Little Monkeys" as a jumping-off point for this book. A large family of small monkeys has a barrel of fun, skating in the street, rolling down a hill, climbing up a tree, fishing off the dock—but one family member always gets injured, at which point Mama consults the beleaguered doctor, who sports a banana-patterned tie. His answer is always emphatically the same: "No more monkeys...." But is the series of accidents merely careless coincidence? Hardly. One monkey is more mischievous than most, and the clever methods she employs to undermine her siblings are almost as entertaining as her comeuppance at the book's conclusion. The rhyme is as enjoyable as ever, while the added activities and suspense will make this a hit with children. Watts's illustrations are hilarious: monkeys in funny hairdos, full of kinetic energy and wreathed in vibrant, alternating colors. The facial expressions on all of the characters are priceless: playful, chagrined, overwhelmed, and downright naughty. This version of the classic fingerplay could easily become the new standard.
—Susan WeitzCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Williams tweaks the well-known story of ten little monkeys jumping on the bed in this enjoyable read-aloud. These monkeys don't stop at jumping, but are injured one by one while running, skating, climbing, rolling, hiking, fishing, playing games and dressing up in costumes. Throughout, the first injured monkey, with her head wrapped in a bandage that she decorates with a flower, pops up in the illustrations. The rhymes are consistent and funny while subtly changing the usual refrain. Watts's illustrations are saturated in deep color with round-faced monkeys and lots of wide-open mouths filling the pages with life. The monkeys' mama and doctor are amusingly portrayed, especially as the doctor's nerves become increasingly frayed. This winning combination of rhythmic text and child-friendly illustrations is rollicking fun. Preschoolers are sure to join in on this refreshing variation of an old favorite. (Picture book. 3-5)