Warning: Do Not Open this Book! Written by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. Simon & Schuster, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4424-3582-7
Reader's Annotation: Monkeys! Toucans! Alligators! In the spirit of There's a Monster at the End of this Book, readers are repeatedly cautioned not to turn the page, but who can resist such a warning...
Summary: With cautions such as "This book is super-dangerous", and "Go back! Wrong way!", the stage is set for catastrophe and silliness. Monkeys are released into the book with a turn of the page, and begin to paint messily and tamper with the text. When things seem to have settled down somewhat, and the monkeys are resting, a flock of toucans is loosened and craziness ensues. When an alligator who wants to eat the monkeys and toucans appears, all hope of returning to a quieter, less chaotic state is lost.
Can the reader, with the help of the narrator, figure out a way to contain the silliness? Will the monkeys, toucans, and alligator be caught and their mayhem contained? Keep turning the pages to find out.
Critical Evaluation: Lehrhaupt has created an extremely silly interactive book that begs to be read again and again. With simple text that becomes a part of the design of each two-page layout, and suspenseful pacing that encourages page turning, even while the narrative warns against it, this picture book encourages laughter and engagement.
Forsythe's digitally rendered illustrations are restrained in color, being composed of mainly earth tones, but the movement and energy he captures in his depictions of the animals are nothing but lively. The facial expressions and goofy posturing of the monkeys are irresistible, and children will delight in their antics.
In a world full of rules, this book offers children an opportunity to not follow directions, and safely explore the outcome. Young readers may recognize themselves in the mess-making behaviors of the animals, and will enjoy playing a key role in solving the problem of the escaped animals.
The solution is cleverly proposed, and even the back cover of the book becomes part of the narrative. This book would be a wonderful read-aloud for a preschool or Kindergarten story time, with guaranteed participation from all listeners.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 2 to 6
Awards: ALA notable book, 2014 E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor Award
Why Included? As a longtime fan of Grover, the premise of this interactive book really appealed to me, and it did not disappoint.
Murilla Gorilla, Jungle Detective. Written by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Jacqui Lee. Simply Read Books, 2013. ISBN 978-1-927018-15-6
Reader's Annotation: Ms. Chimpanzee's magnificent banana muffins have been stolen! Murilla is on the case to track down the thief...if she can stay awake long enough to follow the clues.
Summary: Murilla is not your typical detective. Not only is she a gorilla, but she is prone to napping, driving slowly, finding everything but the item she is looking for, and more napping. When Ms. Chimpanzee reports that her banana muffins have been stolen, Murilla takes the case and heads over to Mango Market to investigate.
After gathering the details of the muffins that went missing, Murilla looks for clues and finds crumbs and footprints. Tracking down the thief proves to be a difficult task, and Murilla decides to disguise herself in the hopes of catching the culprit. Her choice of costume is a stroke of genius (a banana tree!), and her stake out begins.
Will Murilla solve the mystery of the missing muffins, or will this case prove too tough to crack?
Critical Evaluation: Murilla Gorilla bumbles her way through this case, but is so completely charming that children will be rooting for her at every step in her detective work. She is neither efficient or terribly focused, but as she records each clue in her notebook, young mystery fans will have opportunity to puzzle through the case with her.
Murilla's world is located somewhere in Africa, and the supporting characters in the story are other animals you would find there such as okapis, anteaters, and hippos. Lee's warmly colored illustrations are composed of mostly pink, orange, and green pastel shades which lend a tropical feel to each page.
The short chapters, easy to read typeface and larger type size will provide new readers with a tale that is paced to keep them interested and engaged. The illustrations reinforce the details of the plot and can provide clues to help an emergent reader puzzle out a difficult word. This is a lovely example of how delightful characters, an appealing story line, and an exotic setting can combine to create an imaginary world that children will want to return to again and again.
Age or Interest Level: Ages 3 to 6
Awards: ---
Why Included? This book reminded me of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, but for a much younger audience.