Monkey Do!

One spunky monkey scampers through this lighthearted book, in which impeccably paired collaborators Ahlberg and Amstutz (The Ghost Train; Mystery Tour) prove uproariously true the adage ""monkey see, monkey do."" This perceptive little primate manages to do a great deal after letting himself out of his cage with the zookeeper's keys. Following a quick rest in a joey's spot (""Here's a bouncy kangaroo/ With a pocket full of mischief.../ Monkey see,/ Monkey do!""), the feisty hero climbs a giraffe's neck to escape over the zoo walls. While using repetition to humorous effect, Ahlberg keeps his rhyming verse fresh by varying the refrain: ""Crowded playground,/ Kids galore,/ Game of soccer--/ Monkey score!"" Amstutz's bustling watercolor-and-ink scenes and spot art show the long-tailed hero in constant motion as he sums up numbers on a classroom blackboard, peeks out from a loo stall and rescues a kitten stranded atop a flagpole. Preschoolers will gleefully chime in as they enjoy this irrepressible monkey business. Ages 2-6. (June)