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Buddy Read for Grumpy Monkey
I just loved this! The perfect read after a day the made me grumpy! The artwork is both cute and lovely. The verse charms, making you smile and hear children's giggles in your head. Suddenly grumpy feels pretty darn good.
The video reading it was great, made me smile even more.
I thought the funny touches like his name being Jim Panzee, and to feel less grumpy eat dead meat, and poor Norman after dancing with porcupine - just what tickle kids' humor - and this adult's!
I will be reading the rest of the series...after I read this again over the next couple of days.
I loved this. Perfect timing for me too...as I was feeling a wee bit grumpy myself. I definitely won't be dancing with a porcupine anytime soon, but many of the other ideas were good ones! But the best message was that it's okay to be grumpy sometimes. I also really enjoyed the illustrations, cute, simple and very effective at telling the story. (Jim's smile was the best!)
We are so on the same page! It looks like I will be rereading it at some point today as I am getting pretty stressed and irritated by my clients.
Maybe we should have a Grumpy Monkey of the month to read the rest of them?
Let's! Next time I'm by a bookstore, I may just buy a full set. There's a Christmas one perfect for December....
Tonight's read I concentrated on all the tiny bug and animal details in the drawing. And caught a detail on the penultimate story page I missed before - it is subtle. - the gorilla skin-toned bandaids covering Norman's butt! 🤣Next in series is Grumpy Monkey Party Time!.
I am checking it out if library now - though hanging on to this one another day.
I have in my possession Grumpy Monkey Party Time! for our October reading treat!And I found a teacher reading on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSprz...
and this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YhEl...
That one sounds like fun! I just put a hold on it at my library :)
Lyn wrote: "I picked up Grumpy Monkey Party Time! today. Looks like another fun one :)"I have it. Will indulge in a day or two.
Just read Grumpy Monkey Party Time!. It does NOT disappoint! Check out the food table labels carefully. *snicker*Will be reading it again and want to listen to one of the audio readings of it too.
Shall we plan on Grumpy Monkey Up All Night for November? I can definitely relate to that one! Then we can do the Christmas one in December - and it fits flurries too.
There's also a Grumpy Monkey graphic novel chapter book....
I'm a serious fan.
I liked Grumpy Monkey Party Time!, just not quite as much as Grumpy Monkey. My favorite part of this one was definitely the food at the party. The buffet table was perfect.Looking forward to the next one. Grumpy Monkey Up All Night sounds great.
Sure wish I had a little one to share these with!
I know. I keep wondering who I can gift a set to....
Just got Grumpy Monkey Up All Night from library! Quite a wait! Arrrival is perfect - just what I need now.
I already have Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas on hold.
What timing! I picked it up from the library today! It's still in my bag, but I will pull it out this weekend for sure. I am looking forward to this one, I can certainly relate to the title!
I did enjoy Up All Night but not as much as the first two, so I knocked it down to 4 stars. Of course the art was great, the list of activities quite amusing, but it didn't charm me the same way. I think that was in part because I didn't really get the sense of an underlying 'it's okay to feel or do ...' message as the others did. The best humor and fun always has a more serious underpinning - there's a reason for the comedy/drama masks image. I also thought it would deal with Jim having difficulty sleeping -- which from my younger friends with kids is a major issue these days. A lot of kids are not good sleepers. Also I found the concept of a sleepover being with your family being odd. I am old so to me sleepovers are something where you invite all your friends over, not go to your family home to stay with your family. Of course, with divorce, kids have parental sleepovers all the time ... so maybe I'm just old. 😂
I assume the underlying point was to introduce us to Jim's family and especially the little brother who is not so little - in size- anymore.
I've already put a hold on the Christmas Grumpy Monkey - has about a 4 week wait. Perfect timing for a December Flurries read, don't you think?
We had very different reactions to this one. It is my favorite so far! I found myself thinking of the friend sleepovers when I was a teenager and the family gatherings with all my cousins when I was a child. We always had so much fun and stayed up as long as we possibly could. I was also reminded of the sleepovers my daughter had at our house. There were many, and those girls were amazing at staying up. Such wonderful and fun memories for me.
And then there was the girls weekend with my daughter and my cousin last month. We didn't stay up ALL night, but close enough.
I guess I liked this one because I was able to relate to it immediately.
As usual, the art work was wonderful. I love the cover!
Looking forward to the next one :)
Sleepovers were really not part of my childhood. Lived on a farm miles outside of town inan era when families had one car and you didn't haul kids around to parties and such as started when my youngest sisters had in the 70s and 80s. Also cousins somewhat close in age were scattered all over the country and there was no real travel to visit - rarely and never thought of them as sleepovers.I did give this 4 stars so I liked it. Just not as much as first 2.
Lyn - my hold for Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas came in. I won't start it before Dec. 1 but I am pretty sure I will want to next weekend.I did do a reread of Up All Night before returning it. I smiled all through it.
Guess I better ask for it soon then! I am really enjoying reading these books with you Theresa :)
I was thinking the same about you last night.
I read Grumpy Monkey Oh, No! Christmas today. It is my new favorite! I was hooked from the very first line. Our winter rains have started, so I totally understood what he meant by "a grizzly, drizzly December day". It just got better from there! And I am inspired to get out more of my Christmas decorations :)
I need to read it - sitting here waiting for me. And it's been a cold drizzly grizzly December here in NYC so far. I think this is one more - set at Valentine's Day. I think the others you find when you search are all board books for the toddlers learning to read. The Langs also did a chapter book version. I've not thought to check them in a bookstore to see how they look before joining a wait list.
Feel free to nose around and see if we can keep this going. It might be my favorite buddy read of the year, even ever!
Just read it - LOVED IT! Agree 100% with all you said. Perfect for my drizzly grizzly day too. I think I might have to own this - I have a collection of Childrens Christmas books I pull out and read at this time of year. Cadded it to my Amazon gift wishlist. I have a friend who will leap on this to give it to me.
Loved woolly bison after Oxpecker decorated him. Including the sleigh bells aroung his butt.
I have to return it in 5 days. Will read again
Looks like there is
and a brand new one
left in this series. What do you think? Looks like spring fever doesn't come out until January 2, 2024
Great! Let's continue into 2024 - inso enjoy this with you. Pick one for January and I will put a hold at NYPL, though we could save the Valentine one for Feb.
Let's read Grumpy Monkey Don't Be Scared next then. Valentine gross out for Feb
and hope both our libraries have Spring Fever for March!
Great selection! I am so excited to keep on reading these with you!Will head over to Libby and see what's up with borrowing all 3.
I was able to borrow it right away - have for 2 weeks. Will wait until after New Years to read.
I so need to go to the library and find these to read with Miss Small. We have a shared sense of humour …
KateNZ wrote: "I so need to go to the library and find these to read with Miss Small. We have a shared sense of humour …"Little Miss definitely will enjoy these, as will you!
Lyn - I read Grumpy Monkey Don't Be Scared earlier today. It was WONDERFUL! Might be my favorite so far. Isn't it funny -- each of them is so enchanting that they rank as a new favorite. The art work, the friends, the additions in each one, and the simplicity of the story but with real messaging.
I think a set of these books will become my standard gift to young children going forward.
OH, and I just love the whole polecat bit. Growing up on a farm in the country, skunks were shy animals but occasional the dog would stupidly challenge one and omg the stink! Then there's my memory of watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in a revival movie house in Manhattan around 1980 --- audience mostly gay men and when the musical number "I'm a Lonesome Polecat" came on, my friend and I could not stop giggling because the audience of gay males was so excited!
If you have never seen that movie .... watch it.
That is a fabulous memory Theresa, thanks for sharing!I can't wait to read Don't be Scared now, and I will have that mental image when I do.
And now I need to rewatch the movie! The last time I saw Seven Brides for Seven Brothers it was a high school production. Good thing I hadn't heard your story then, I would have laughed way too loud I am sure :)
Lyn wrote: "That is a fabulous memory Theresa, thanks for sharing!I can't wait to read Don't be Scared now, and I will have that mental image when I do.
And now I need to rewatch the movie! The last time I sa..."
It has colored my reaction to that number ever since. I can't watch it without snickering.
I just finished reading Grumpy Monkey Don't be Scared and I am still laughing! I absolutely LOVED the ending! So much fun!
Wasn't it? I read it a couple weeks ago and I still chuckle when I think of it!
I just borrowed the Valentine one and have it for 14 days.
I just put it on hold at my library today! I can't wait.
If I land on Children's-(could also be considered a picture book?)- for steeplechase I am going to start reading this-you all make it look so fun!
Joanne wrote: "If I land on Children's-(could also be considered a picture book?)- for steeplechase I am going to start reading this-you all make it look so fun!"We'd welcome you! It has been so much fun!
I've been pushing a long-time friend who follows my reading here on GR to get them for her grandson who is just the perfect age now for them. She gave him a couple for Christmas and they have been a huge hit! Next time she visits (they live on the west coast while she's on the east coast), she is under instrcutions to read them to him. I know she will love them too!
Are you ready for the lovey-est, dovey-est, most wonderful-est holiday? That is my favorite illustration in the book. And the book is just wonderful. Totally made me smile!And reminded me that getting the valentine's ready for my nieces and nephew would be a good rainy day project this weekend!
❤️❤️🩷🩷❤️❤️🩷🩷💖💝💘💌How can each one be my absolute favorite of all?
I loved all the illustrations - each pair of animals so perfect. But I too loved that one best.
Did you get your valentines done?
Next one up looks to be Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever. Perfect for March.
I did just put a hold on Spring Fever. It was just published but the hold list should get to me by March 1.
Still working on my Valentines. It was a beautiful weekend so I did outside stuff. I will revisit Valentine Gross-Out for inspiration after dinner today!The illustrations in this series of books has been wonderful. And Jim Panzee reminds me of a couple of boys I have known!
Lyn wrote: "Still working on my Valentines. It was a beautiful weekend so I did outside stuff. I will revisit Valentine Gross-Out for inspiration after dinner today!The illustrations in this series of books ..."
Doesn't he though?
Ohhh, how exciting! I better get mine ordered!Update: just put it on hold :)
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Wonky Donkey (other topics)Grumpy Monkey Mom for a Day (other topics)
Grumpy Monkey School Stinks!: A Graphic Novel (other topics)
Grumpy Monkey Mom for a Day (other topics)
Grumpy Monkey Mom for a Day (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Eileen Spinelli (other topics)Eileen Spinelli (other topics)
Here's a link to the teacher reading of it that BnB provided us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37RVQ...