Monkey Business - One Monkey Too Many

One Monkey Too Many
written by Jackie French Koller
illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Lamptime: toddler - early elementary
Story Circle: preschool - kindergarten

What is it about monkeys? Everybody loves a monkey, especially if they are silly and wearing clothes. Jackie French Koller gives us a charming story in rhyme that incorporates monkey mischief and mayhem with simple addition. I especially like the way that she writes herself into the story making it seem as if the monkeys really are taking over. Lynn Munsinger is an accomplished illustrator with nearly 100 children's books to her credit. There is something wonderful to a child (and adults - come on admit it) about animals doing people things. Enjoy this book and make a little monkey business.

Laptime Activities

1. Adding monkeys - Cut out 7 monkeys. If you are artistic you can draw them or you can look in magazines, coloring books or on the internet to find some monkey shapes. Sit at a table. Read One Monkey Too Many . Start with one monkey on the table. Every time that a monkey is added to the story add a monkey to the table and count the monkeys. Be sure to use math words - one monkey plus one monkey equals 2 monkeys. Lets count them. One, Two. Two monkeys plus one monkey equals 3 monkeys. One, Two, Three. etc.
2. Play the game Barrel of Monkeys. Remember that monkey chain game by Hasbro? You pour the monkeys out onto the floor and see how many you can connect together. If you don't have a Barrel of Monkeys, you can buy one at the Wondersome StoryTime Store.

Story Circle Activities
1. Classic Monkey Rhyme - 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
5 little monkeys jumping on the bed (show 5 fingers jumping up and down)
One fell off and bumped his head (show one finger and make a falling motion)
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said (say this in a high mama voice and motion calling on the phone)
No more monkeys jumping on the bed! (Shake your finger and say this in a low Dr. voice)
Continue Rhyme with 4 little monkeys jumping on the bed, etc. Until you get to zero monkeys.

2. Act it out - Choose 5 children to be the jumping monkeys and assign each a number 1 - 5. Choose one child to be the mama and one child to be the doctor. The rest of the class can sit on the floor and say the rhyme. On the line, "5 little monkeys jumping on the bed" all monkeys should jump. When their number is said each monkey should sit down with the rest of the class on the line "One fell off and bumped his head." Help Mama and the doctor to have fun pretending to use the phone and telling those naughty monkeys what to do.