Apes A-Go-Go!

by Roman Milisic, A. Richard Allen (Illustrations)

When the mayor of a very tidy town notices a single flower out of place, Fussy Great Ape helpfully offers to fix it...but he demolishes the rest of the flowerbed in the process. He doesn't want the mayor to worry. He sounds off the ape call to action--"Bogo! Pogo! Apes-A-Go-Go!"—and Mucky Great Ape turns up to replant the flowers. Now the flowers look lovely…but now the entire town is covered in dirt!
 
Well, it’s clear what this problem calls for. More apes!
 
These eager apes have the best intentions, but they’re heaping disaster upon disaster. Can they work together to return this town to its formerly tidy glory?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Animals, Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2014

Reviews

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A town is known for their perfectness but what happens when one little flower is out of place and an ape tries to fix it. Things just spiral! I love the different apes and the call. Cute toddler and up.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok, and kids might like it, but it didn’t make much sense to me. How many kids need to be taught that it’s ok to be not perfect all the time? Or was the lesson that the mayor needs to help too? Because I think the apes were distracting from that lesson.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

My whole family loves this book. Excellent lessons, funny, good illustrations, and super-fun to read with chest pounding!

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found the descriptions to be too negative, the story unimpressive and the illustrations lackluster

[Leilah Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the persnickety mayor notices a small flaw in his Tidiest Town Competition plans, a well-meaning Great Ape offers to help. What trouble could a huge, bumbling primate cause in a flowerbed, after all..? A small flaw becomes a big mess, and a big mess becomes a scene of complete and utter chaos, as each well-intentioned Ape calls in turn on another Great Ape friend for help.

This is a very funny, energetic book. The story has a cyclical structure that enables children to anticipate the outcomes on the page-turn, engaging them with the action. My favourite aspect is that it is brim-full to bursting with that magical balance of message and madness. Children reading this will laugh and call out lines as they read along, - and they’ll also learn a lot about friendship, and teamwork, and the nature of community. Apes-A-Go-Go is highly recommended for your favourite little monkeys!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps there's more to life than keeping things tidy as the mayor of one town realizes. In line to win another award for the town's tidiness, the mayor becomes concerned at one flower that is out of line with the others. His complaint prompts a series of fixes on the part of several great apes, each with a specific area of expertise. But each one makes more of a mess than there was before. Young readers may enjoy the fact that a slice of cake is the solution to all the town's problems, and they also will smile at how the story ends since the mayor decides to take matters into his own hands. Apparently, he has learned from what happened earlier in the book. This one was originally published in Great Britain, and will surely have youngsters laughing at the apes and their hard work in cleaning up the town.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a completely charming story about a mayor who wants his little town to win the Tidiest Town Competition again. But, unforunately, an ape clumsily ruins a perfectly manicured flower bed. But this ape "know a guy" who can make it better. So with a cry of "Bogo Pogo Apes A-Go-Go!" another ape comes and makes things right. But in making things right, something else gets messed up. So he calls in his guy to fix it. This goes on and on and it seems the town will never be in shape again or win the competition. But maybe, as the mayor learns, winning Tidiest Town isn't the best thing in the world.

Dexter (7yo) and Jasper (2yo) loved yelling out with me "Bogo Pogo Apes A-Go-Go!" every time a new ape was needed on the scene.

The illustrations were funky fun!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, take responsibility for yourself and don't freak out over the little things. Enjoy imperfections and focus on what's truly important...like eating cake.

Great messages right? This should have been an awesome book...but it just annoyed me. Too many apes a go go. Blech.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't invite apes to town when you're on the verge of winning the prize for having a tidy town! These apes want to be extremely helpful but they are extremely not. A silly story with just enough repetition to make it fun for a felt board activity or call back story.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-intentioned apes completely wreck the Tidiest Village in England and then put it back together again. Here's an illustrator to keep an eye on.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-meaning apes make a terrible mess of a tidy town.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attractive cover for a less interesting story about a tidy town that calls on apes to clean up though that outcome goes astray

[Anna Fillmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the apes are male, except for the ape whose job it is to bake a cake. Grrrrr....but it would probably work well in a storytime.

[Joe Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 year old reviews: there is a disaster caused by apes. The apes fix it with cake.

[Natalie]

I can tell little boys would love this book (at least the ones I babysit for)

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids will have a great time with this story and I think I will have them say the "Bogo! Pogo! Apes A-Go-Go!" with me. :)

Themes: Apes, friends, helping

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little long for youngers, but this will be an interactive storytime hit for PreK up.

[Jschofi4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't LOVE it, but the boys sure did! Great refrain for repetition.

[Jenn Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter and I both enjoyed this story of the apes trying to help the mayor. The illustrations were interesting as well. Would recommend.

[Dearer James III · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly relate to all of the main characters. The story was so immersive and I was almost in tears when they said Apes A-Go-Go

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read review here: http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2015/09/...

[Mortis Boys · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boys have been quoting the apes all week.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, silly, great illustrations. Familiar format, but just different enough to keep interest.