More of Monkey & Robot

by Peter Catalanotto, Peter Catalanotto (Illustrator)

Overview

Monkey and Robot are the best of friends—and they have the best of adventures! This chapter book includes four (more!) playful stories.

Monkey always gets in the wildest of messes. And Robot is always there to help him out. After all, what are best friends for?

“Readers looking for funny friendship stories but who think that Frog and Toad and other early readers are a tad too easy will find this unlikely duo just right,” says Horn Book Magazine about the Monkey and Robot series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442452510
Publisher:	Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Publication date:	03/18/2014
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Peter Catalanotto has written seventeen books for children, including Monkey & Robot, More of Monkey & Robot, The Newbies, Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All, Ivan the Terrier, Matthew A.B.C., and Emily’s Art, of which School Library Journal said in a starred review, “whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece.” In 2008, First Lady Laura Bush commissioned Peter to illustrate the White House holiday brochure. He currently teaches the first children’s book writing course offered by both Columbia University and Pratt Institute. Peter has illustrated more than thirty books for other writers including George Ella Lyon, Cynthia Rylant, Mary Pope Osborne, Joanne Ryder, Robert Burleigh, and Megan McDonald.

Peter Catalanotto has written seventeen books for children, including Monkey & Robot, More of Monkey & Robot, The Newbies, Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All, Ivan the Terrier, Matthew A.B.C., and Emily’s Art, of which School Library Journal said in a starred review, “whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece.” In 2008, First Lady Laura Bush commissioned Peter to illustrate the White House holiday brochure. He currently teaches the first children’s book writing course offered by both Columbia University and Pratt Institute. Peter has illustrated more than thirty books for other writers including George Ella Lyon, Cynthia Rylant, Mary Pope Osborne, Joanne Ryder, Robert Burleigh, and Megan McDonald.

Read an Excerpt

More of Monkey & Robot

Who IS Who?

“What are you thinking about?” Robot asked.

“I’m thinking about what I’m going to be for Halloween,” Monkey said.

“But it’s only June,” Robot said. “Halloween is four months away!”

“I know,” Monkey said, “but I messed up last Halloween.”

“Well,” Robot said, “most people don’t like it when you stick your fingers in their mouths.”

“I was a dentist!” Monkey protested.

“I know,” Robot said, “but real dentists wash their hands and wear gloves before they touch someone’s teeth.”

“I should have worn my mittens,” Monkey said.

“Do you want to be something scary?” Robot asked.

“No,” Monkey said. “I want to be something that everybody likes.”

There was a knock at the door. Robot opened it. Mrs. Harper was standing there with a big plate of cookies.

“These are for you,” Mrs. Harper said, “because you fed my cat last week while I was away.”

Editorial Reviews

2013-12-11
Odd-couple friends find the best in each another. First, Monkey can't pinpoint a good idea for a Halloween costume. His bemused pal reminds him that it's June, but Monkey is nonetheless fixated on finding just the right disguise. In this story and in the three that follow, Robot is indulgent of his rather silly friend, and he's clearly the brighter of the two. Graphite-and-ink illustrations lend a classic feel to the book while supporting characterization by underscoring the winning qualities of Monkey's sweet nature. He refuses to swim at the beach since Robot cannot join him and then later exuberantly plants an acorn to grow an oak, so he can turn the tire he's just found into a swing. In the prior instance, Robot rewards his friend's loyalty by pretending to lose his shovel and asking Monkey to swim into the water to retrieve it; in the latter, he patiently helps Monkey understand that waiting for an oak tree to grow from an acorn will mean they won't have a tire swing for quite some time. All is not lost, though, when they find another solution to this quandary. The collection concludes with a story quietly reminiscent of Laura Vaccaro Seeger's Dog and Bear: Two's Company (2009) as Robot wears himself out trying to gather things needed for breakfast. A strong second outing in this new series for new readers. (Early reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews