My Never Ending List

If you loved Caps For Sale, you will love this new addition to the original. I think I love this new novel better than the original. The monkey’s in this new novel remind me of the elves in the Shoemaker and the Elves. They help the peddler tremendously and he realizes that they are not pesky monkeys but instead they are mindful monkeys.

 

He shakes his finger at them, “You monkeys, you” and the monkeys only shake their fingers right back at him and reply, “Tsz, tsz, tsz!” Don’t you just love this? I smile every time I read this. Then, looking at the illustration, I see the smiling monkeys, the peddler with his mustache, and I know that one party wants to play and the other one has work to do.

 

There are sixteen monkeys now and they have been following the peddler for two days. The peddler is going to visit his friend Essie as she will know what to do about the monkeys. Guess who follows the peddler to Essie’s? Yes, the monkeys! Essie has some good advice but it’s not exactly what the peddler wanted to hear but nevertheless he returns home with the monkey’s trailing behind him. He follows Essie’s advice and unexpectedly, he has to leave town as one of his friends is sick. He is gone many days and the monkey’s wait in the tree, for his return. These are mindful monkeys and soon they band together and decide to help the peddler. When the peddler arrives home, overcome with worry and discomfort, the peddler is surprised at the monkeys in his tree. His friend Essie was right and the ending to this novel was wonderful. The pictures were great and they follow the same template as Caps For Sale. Another fantastic children’s novel!