Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car

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The five little monkeys and their mama have had it with their "rickety, rattletrap wreck of a car." It's time to sell this old heap. Mama makes a "For Sale" sign and goes inside. But her ever-helpful children worry that the car is too icky, sticky, and slimy, and take matters into their own industrious hands. "I know!" says one little monkey. And next thing they know, they're washing and scrubbing the filthy jalopy. Now it's clean, but still rusty and stinky. The monkeys ponder. "I know!" says one little monkey. Soon the car is painted and perfumed within an inch of its life. Unfortunately, it's not visible to potential buyers. "I know!" says one little monkey. With all these collective brainstorms, it's not long before the sparkly clean, psychedelically colorful car has landed in the swamp, with the five chagrined little monkeys inside, and a gaggle of crocodiles lurking nearby, licking their chops. How will they ever get themselves out of this mess, and sell the car, to boot? "I know!" says one little monkey...

These five are no strangers to silly predicaments and clever solutions, as evidenced in Eileen Christelow's four other entertaining picture books about the quintet, including Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed and Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter


From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1-A slight story told in rhyme. The monkeys' old family car becomes too much trouble for Mama and is put up for sale. The five little ones take it upon themselves to spruce it up, but despite their good intentions, the vehicle ends up in a swamp. Some crocodiles come to the rescue and decide to buy the wreck and the monkey family drives off in a snazzy red convertible. The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations highlight the industrious little monkeys and their expressive faces as the mishap unfolds. The rhyme scheme enhances the story, such that it is, although it sometimes sounds forced. Children may enjoy this addition to the other stories about the little monkeys, but may need an explanation of the economics of selling a heap and ending up with a brand new car.Denise Reitsma, Howe Library, Hanover, NH Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Christelow's fifth rhyming book about the five little monkeys is a lot of fun. In this adventure, Mama decides to sell the rickety old family car, and her helpful offspring get in on the action with some marketing ideas. One monkey decides to wash the car. Another monkey decides to paint it. A third thinks moving it to a more noticeable position will help sell it. But during the move, the car ends up in a swamp where the monkeys meet some crocodiles. A fourth monkey uses her brain to outfox the crocs and get her siblings safely home. The fifth monkey makes the sale and closes the deal so that everyone wins in the end, including Mama. Christelow's watercolor-and-pencil illustrations show great energy and movement, peppered with just the right amount of silliness. The endpapers add a nice touch with the old car on the front and the new car on the back. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review
"Christelow's watercolor and pencil illustrations show great energy and movement, peppered with just the right amount of silliness."


Book Description
The five little monkeys and Mama are eager to get a new car. The five little monkeys clean and paint their old car until it sparkles like new. But who will buy it? Perhaps those clever monkeys can convince their cranky crocodile neighbors that what they really need is . . . yes, a car! Children will love predicting how the five little monkeys will deal with each new challenge, making this a perfect story for interactive reading. Lively verse and Eileen Christelow's inimitably comic illustrations put the five little monkeys in the driver's seat in more ways than one.


Card catalog description
Five little monkeys wash the family car before trying to sell it, but that is only the beginning of their adventures with the old heap.


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PreS-Gr 1-A slight story told in rhyme. The monkeys' old family car becomes too much trouble for Mama and is put up for sale. The five little ones take it upon themselves to spruce it up, but despite their good intentions, the vehicle ends up in a swamp. Some crocodiles come to the rescue and decide to buy the wreck and the monkey family drives off in a snazzy red convertible. The pencil-and-watercolor illustrations highlight the industrious little monkeys and their expressive faces as the mishap unfolds. The rhyme scheme enhances the story, such that it is, although it sometimes sounds forced. Children may enjoy this addition to the other stories about the little monkeys, but may need an explanation of the economics of selling a heap and ending up with a brand new car.-Denise Reitsma, Howe Library, Hanover, NH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|


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