Monkey For Sale ANNOTATION
When Luzolo goes to market with her parents, she learns that it takes a great deal of bartering to finally get what she wants.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
It's market day in Luzolo's village, and she has a five-franc coin to spend. Her parents tell her on market day, "No one gets something for nothing." She must choose wisely, they say, and bargain for a fair price. Then she and her friend Kiese discover that Mama Lusufu has a wild monkey for sale. They offer to trade their new purchases for the monkey, but Mama Lusufu has her eye on a new water jug made by Kiese's mother, who in turn wants a piece of embroidery made by Luzolo's mother. Luzolo's mother wants four tin cups, and the tin cup salesman wants a basket for his wife . . .
With etchings combined with vibrant collage, Sanna Stanley tells a lively story about two friends who embark on an elaborate chain of barter and bargaining to rescue a monkey.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In the follow-up to Monkey Sunday, Monkey for Sale by Sanna Stanley, young Luzolo is back and, together with her friend Kiese, she arranges to free a monkey captured by a greedy vendor at the market. Delicate etchings in luxurious jungle hues trace the two girls' efforts to orchestrate a chain of trades to save the monkey just in time. (Oct.) ~ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-Two girls make a series of trades in order to free a captured monkey. Set in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the story conveys the excitement of Market Day. Luzolo has a five-franc coin to spend. Her parents caution her to choose wisely and bargain for a fair price. When she and Kiese discover that a village woman has captured a wild monkey to sell as a pet, the friends make it their mission to free it. The illustrations consist of backgrounds done in several tones of brown, contrasted with brightly colored clothes, fruits, and plants. The style is unique, combining "two printmaking processes: etching and hand-painted Chine coll on mulberry paper." When the girls finally get the monkey, they release it in the jungle. A simple story, sweetly rendered.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In an echo of The Old Woman and Her Pig, an African village market is the scene of several purchases and subsequent rounds of barter initiated by a young girl and her friend. Luzolo has a five-franc coin to spend on market day. Her father cautions her not to buy the first thing she sees: "Look around, choose what you really want, and then bargain for a fair price." Her mother adds, "no one gets something for nothing on market day." Luzolo and her friend, Kiese share what they each purchase and then hear that a monkey is for sale, obviously a disturbing discovery. They set off to trade throughout the market, until they can get the monkey away from its captor. Eventually, the beans and rice they barter for their bracelets and nail polish trade for a very nice basket, that trades for four tin cups that trade for embroidery, and that, finally, for the water pot the monkey seller wants. The girls take the monkey and head for the jungle, where they immediately release him and admonish, "Next time, stay away from Mama Lusufu!" The story ends, "But the monkey didn't listen." The illustrations-etched and hand-painted Chine coll� on mulberry paper-do little to extend the text, lacking the vibrancy and vitality of an African market filled with foods, fabrics, and goods. There's no hint of what the characters have in mind to do once they obtain the monkey, other than that sense of unhappiness when they hear it's in captivity, so that comes as a nice surprise. The author does relate the interconnection within a community and the ripples created by trading what one has for what one wants. The observant young reader will detect and enjoy the circular story of trading among the villagers and theinevitable return of the monkey. (Picture book. 4-8)
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