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Monroe, Chris
8 Reviews
(3)
K-3
Tool-festooned monkey Chico Bon Bon returns, this time to figure out why various supplies have gone missing from his school. Through industry and, yes, tools, Chico discovers that some squirrels have been building their own school inside the building's walls. The solution to the turf war is inspired, requires cooperation (and tools), and showcases author/illustrator Monroe's talent for detail in miniature.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
K-3
"Chico Bon Bon had never seen a pancake do so much damage" is the irresistible beginning to tool-wielding monkey Chico's latest story. Chico's challenge: party-throwing elephant Clark is wrecking the kitchen as he cooks. Fortunately, Chico has his tools...and his wits, which he uses to stop maniac muffins on the loose. Monroe's tidy art is as marvelously straight-faced as her text.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
K-3
A helmeted ladybug rides a bike through a busy neighborhood populated by bugs and animals, an "athletic pickle," a nickel, etc., inviting them all to follow him to a mysterious locale. The rhyming text is pleasing, if somewhat forced at times. Young readers will delight in noticing the myriad details in the quirky, Richard Scarry–like watercolor and ink illustrations.
Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello
(4)
K-3
When opportunistic humans learn that dog Cookie can walk on her hind legs, they make her a star. When things get out of control, Cookie takes a friend's advice: "stand down." The send-up of celebrity culture is cute, and the knackered plot gets a lift from the multifarious cartoon illustrations including a step-by-step diagram showing Cookie lowering to all fours.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(4)
K-3
In tool-wielding monkey Chico Bon Bon's latest outing, an elephant friend summons him to a beachside resort to fix a mysterious string of broken things. Unless the reader is enamored of watching fix-it projects, parts of the book will be slow going. Monroe knows tools, as evidenced by the detail-drenched art.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
(3)
K-3
Mischievous sheep Rocky and Blossom finally escape the watchful eye of sheepdog Murphy, then go gallivanting in the off-limits High Meadow. When a wolf appears, Murphy shows up at just the right moment. All sorts of sheep-related dangers--from steep cliffs to wool-crazed knitters--are humorously rendered in illustrations that make effective use of white space and dialogue bubbles.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(3)
K-3
Awakened by a loud clanging, Chico Bon Bon (Monkey with a Tool Belt) searches his tree-house home. The noise's source is revealed: an elephant is stuck in Chico's laundry chute. Utilizing some unconventional tools, Chico devises a creative plan for dislodging the trapped pachyderm. Delightfully detailed illustrations featuring an elaborate seventeen-room tree house set the tone for Chico's second off-beat, tool-heavy adventure.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
(3)
K-3
Chico Bon Bon is a clever tool belt–wearing monkey who can build and fix things--exactly the skills he needs to escape from an organ grinder who has kidnapped him for the circus. Readers will be drawn in by this quirky hero's dramatic tale. Monroe's varied illustrations range from clean and simply composed to highly detailed, depending on Chico's changing situation.
Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden
8 reviews
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