Mr. Monkey Visits a School

Some days, just making it to school is an accomplishment. In book two of Mack’s series, the lanky Mr. Monkey is invited to a school to perform his new trick: juggling with tennis rackets, an umbrella, and a suitcase. But en route to the school (after first forgetting to put on pants), Mr. Monkey encounters a car-crushing cow in the middle of the road and is forced to improvise a new means of transportation. Once at the school, he misplaces the props he needs to perform his trick and nervously stammers before the audience of kids, but his improvisational talents come in handy. Mack’s episodic story presentation and expressive physical comedy offer natural appeal for early readers. Ages 4–8. (July)