April 1, 2019
K-Gr 2-Daywalt returns with a new entry in the easy reader series featuring best friends Monkey and Cake. In this title, Cake builds a fort from chairs and a blanket meant only for cakes. While Monkey begs and pleads, Cake will not let him in, hurting Monkey's feelings. Eventually, Cake realizes the wide world he is missing out on outside of his fort, and he and Monkey reunite to have some fun. The "Monkey & Cake" books will no doubt draw comparisons to similarly quirky series like "Elephant and Piggie," "Ballet Cat," and "Narwhal and Jelly, " with their bright colors and use of speech bubbles. Daywalt endearingly weaves humorous elements with friendship foibles young readers will relate to, as Monkey and Cake figure out how to navigate feeling left out. With one to two short sentences per page, this is an ideal option for beginning readers but would be effective shared one-on-one or with a group. VERDICT This silly, sweet tale of friendship is a first purchase for emerging reader collections.-Kathryn Justus, Renbrook School, West Hartford, CT
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