Baby Monkey, Private Eye

My daughter has had this book since it was released a few years ago, and it is still one of her favorites. She is 9 now, so a bit older than the target audience, but she still cracks up thinking about Baby Monkey and his silliness. I buy this book as a gift whenever a friend or family member has a baby or a young child.

This is a big favorite of our grandson. I thought it was supposed to be a series. Mr Selznick, where is the next volume???

I found that this book worked for multiple ages from 2-5. The 2 yr old liked the repetition and the monkey’s struggle to put on his pants. The 5 yr old immediately keyed in on the fact that the decorations in the office changed to be specific to each case and wanted details explaining the relevance. Great opportunities to increase and expand vocabulary .

Brian Selznick's done it again. But this time, he's revolutionized the early chapter book genre. While the book has 192 pages making it seem like a full length chapter book. The text is actually pretty sparse. This makes the illustrations the star of the show, which is awesome when the illustrator is as fabulous as Selznick. Our main character here is a baby monkey who solves crimes. In each of the five chapters in the book, Baby Monkey solves a crime. He gathers clues, he takes notes, and sets out to catch the culprit, but first he has to put on his pants. Unfortunately, Baby Monkey struggles to figure out how to put on his pants creating a running gag throughout the story. The pattern set in the first three chapters makes the changes in chapters four and five stand out all the more. And the detailed black and white illustrations work perfectly to highlight Baby Monkey's office and exploits with just enough splashes of red to catch the eye. In addition to all this though is the changes Selznick makes in Baby Monkey's office for each new case. The art on the walls and the bust on the desk change to fit the subject of the case (opera, circus, space, etc.). Thankfully, Selznick has a key at the end of the book documenting all the changes and where they came from. Interestingly there is also an index and a bibliography (documenting the books Baby Monkey is reading in each office scene)--I also suspect that these books are all made up. All in all Selznick and Serlin have created an adorable book that young readers who want a larger book are bound to enjoy both carrying around and reading.

A fun book with gorgeous illustrations. It’s also got fun Easter eggs for adults scattered throughout. I think it’s genius that the book looks like a chapter book, even as each page only has a sentence or two at most, plus the illustrations. I imagine it would make a small child feel super proud to have read such an “adult-looking” book. Highly, highly recommend!

Very few words, wonderfully detailed illustrations and a funny storyline with a cozy ending. My grandchildren were tickled that they could "read" it on their own.

After purchasing this book for myself because I enjoy children’s literature, picture books, and graphic novels, I honestly wasn’t floored by it. I read through it in a couple of minutes and was unsure of what to think. It’s a bit repetitive and simplistic even for an adult that appreciates where this book is coming from. So why five stars? My three year old loves.this.book. I originally anticipated this sitting on the shelf for a couple years before she would appreciate it, but I think 3-7 or so is exactly the right age to enjoy the genius of this book(depending on the child of course.) She is constantly flipping through mommy’s “big books” and now she has a chapter/novel of her own. She is able to “read” this book aloud to herself due to the simplicity, repetition, and beautiful illustrations. Though the subtler references in the office scenes are a bit out of her reach, they are there for her to discover and explore as she grows.

If not for the fact that the book was written and beautiful illustrations created before he was born, my little grandson could have been the inspiration for some of the Baby Monkey character, especially the part about him trying so hard to figure out how to put on his pants. It opens my eyes to what I now take so much for granted could once have been a profound mystery.Look closely at the background furnishings in Baby Monkey's office and you will see that they change to for each new case. Great attention has been paid to often overlooked detail.This is a great book, not only for children, but I myself love it too.

Well crafted story line that draws the reader in and illustrations are of the highest quality. Finding the differences in the office drawings gives the reader a reason to enjoy the book even more and also provides an opportunity for a parent and child to explore how books can be more than just words. Highly recommend if you have a child just starting to read or are a parent who wants to read a book that will draw your child in and create and interest in reading for themselves.

Il libro è piaciuto al mio cinquenne - e anche al duenne. Gioca un po’ sulla ripetizione della trama, variando i dettagli ad ogni capitolo, trovo che questo funzioni meglio per i bimbi un po’ più piccoli (appunto, il mio duenne è molto attratto dalle storie ripetitive). Le illustrazioni sono bellissime. In finale, penso sia più adatto ai piccini, oppure ad un bimbo che legge da sé.

This is an adorable book, and the format makes it look and feel like a "grownup" book - hardcover, chapters. My 4 and 6 year old grandkids love it! The nuanced details are charming. I think it gives children an incentive to read by themselves.

Livro incrível, como não poderia deixar de ser desse autor. Leitura para crianças e adultos, todos se encantam com o baby monkey. Brian sempre se supera!

Aunque parece un libro para lectores más avanzados por su formato, el sencillo texto que presenta y la repetición de estructuras lo hacen recomendable incluso para primeros lectores. Además, cuenta con magníficas ilustraciones que van contando parte de las historias, al estilo de las novelas gráficas.