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I Want My Banana!: Je Veux Ma Banane!
Despite being offered tempting fruits by his jungle friends, Monkey wants only to find his lost banana.
- GenresFrancePicture Books
32 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 6, 2014
Summary:
Monkey is very sad. He wants a banana. The other animals all offer him something else to eat, but nothing else will do. Monkey wants his banana. Will he get it in the end?
Review:
A nice enough book for French children learning English or English children learning French. The illustrations, although crude, neatly depict the basic movements of the story.
The value of the book lies in the simplicity of the language and its repetitive use of important phrases (“non merci”) and grammatical constructions (“je ne veux que…”).
The editorial notes which bracket the story are very helpful. For example, at the end there is a small glossary with all the key words in French and English, complete with phonetic instructions on pronunciation for each French word. After that comes a guide which simply notes the entire book’s text in chronological order, again providing phonetic pronunciation for the French. Although, when it comes to developing proper pronunciation in a foreign language, there is no substitute for spending time listening to and emulating native speakers, at this basic level of linguistic acquisition, a simple guide like the one offered in this book could act as a window into understanding and beginning to produce the different sounds of a new language.
Uses in classroom:
- KS2 French
- Some animal and fruit vocab (not particularly comprehensive)
- Important grammatical structures (“I want”, “I like”, “would you like?”, “no thank you” etc.)
- Introducing French early EAL pupils to the English language
- Strong emphasis on pronunciation
Monkey is very sad. He wants a banana. The other animals all offer him something else to eat, but nothing else will do. Monkey wants his banana. Will he get it in the end?
Review:
A nice enough book for French children learning English or English children learning French. The illustrations, although crude, neatly depict the basic movements of the story.
The value of the book lies in the simplicity of the language and its repetitive use of important phrases (“non merci”) and grammatical constructions (“je ne veux que…”).
The editorial notes which bracket the story are very helpful. For example, at the end there is a small glossary with all the key words in French and English, complete with phonetic instructions on pronunciation for each French word. After that comes a guide which simply notes the entire book’s text in chronological order, again providing phonetic pronunciation for the French. Although, when it comes to developing proper pronunciation in a foreign language, there is no substitute for spending time listening to and emulating native speakers, at this basic level of linguistic acquisition, a simple guide like the one offered in this book could act as a window into understanding and beginning to produce the different sounds of a new language.
Uses in classroom:
- KS2 French
- Some animal and fruit vocab (not particularly comprehensive)
- Important grammatical structures (“I want”, “I like”, “would you like?”, “no thank you” etc.)
- Introducing French early EAL pupils to the English language
- Strong emphasis on pronunciation
August 26, 2020
Mon Dieu! Est ce réel? Ou ce livre est-il une blague coquine? Le singe ne veut que sa banane? Et quand il voit sa banane, il l'attrape aussitôt et est content? !!!! Je dois admettre que j'adore ça! Je veux le partager avec tout le monde. Dis-moi ce que tu penses! Vous pourriez lire ce livre à haute voix pour grossièretés! XD
My God! Is this for real? Or is this book a naughty joke? The monkey only wants his banana? And when he sees his banana, he grabs it immediately and is happy? !!!! I must admit, I love this! I want to share it with everyone. Tell me what you think! You could read this book aloud for dirty talk! XD
My God! Is this for real? Or is this book a naughty joke? The monkey only wants his banana? And when he sees his banana, he grabs it immediately and is happy? !!!! I must admit, I love this! I want to share it with everyone. Tell me what you think! You could read this book aloud for dirty talk! XD
September 25, 2018
A monkey lost his banana and would like to find it. Other jungle animals offer different foods, but he just wants a banana.
2018 storytime theme: bananas
Reviewed from a library copy.
2018 storytime theme: bananas
Reviewed from a library copy.
October 9, 2025
Pretty sure I read this when I was in French class 20+ years ago. The kid loves reading this at bedtime now. Lots of opportunities for voices and I got to (re?)learn how to say parrot in French.
March 25, 2008
This is so great for learning French. It includes a glossary in the back, and also a pronunciation guide for the entire book. I definitely want to get more books from this series.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews