Count the Monkeys

When Billy Twitters refuses to change his slovenly habits, his parents bring in an immense blue whale which Billy must care for and transport everywhere. How he solves this problem makes a slightly surreal and slyly funny whale of a tale through understated humor in both text and illustration.

The author introduces himself as the author, the book’s illustrator, and the main character, Chloe, as the book opens. The conflict between author and illustrator has a significant impact on Chloe’s book adventure in this funny, sophisticated presentation. As the author and illustrator pop in and out, style of illustration and text is varied for maximum effect.

Annabelle finds a box with colorful yarn from which she makes sweater for all, adding color and life to a dull landscape. The box is empty when stolen by a greedy man but is yarn-filled when it returns to Annabelle. Textured pictures and understated text on open pages tell an engaging yarn.

A father warmly and creatively answers his child’s endless questions: “Why is the ocean blue?” (“Because every night fish play sad songs and cry blue tears.”) The final question, “Why do we have to sleep?” is answered, “Because there are some things we can only see with our eyes closed.” Stylized illustrations suggest a timeless quality to a child’s curiosity and a parent’s patience.  

Could the Mac B growing up in the 1980s really have been a spy before he became an author? Who gets called to England to help the Queen? Not likely, but it sure makes a good adventure. Amusing line drawings use limited color to add to the humor in the start of a new series. Fun and adventure with Mac B continue in Mac B. Kid Spy: The Impossible Crime (opens in a new window).

When a new family moves into his home and Leo the Ghost’s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. (Goodreads)

The narrator is a rule-follower; his sister Jenny is a rule breaker. When Jenny breaks a rule, her brother must break a few in order to save her from the unique and quite humorous monsters she released. The outrageous tale is told and illustrated with verve and wit.

Sam and Dave are on a mission. A mission to find something spectacular. So they dig a hole. And they keep digging. And they find … nothing. Yet the day turns out to be pretty spectacular after all. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a rare treasure in this witty story of looking for the extraordinary — and finding it in a manner you’d never expect.

In this companion to Triangle (opens in a new window), Square’s block is seen and greatly appreciated by Circle. Circle declares that Square is a genius, but is he? This second installment in Barnett’s trilogy is sure to amuse as well as confound.

When Peter’s mom asks other birds to tell him to come home for dinner, the message takes on each bird’s special interest, from sports to firefighting. The variety of birds, all simply but effectively illustrated, sits on a telephone wire in this playful riff of a familiar game.

It all starts here: The thrilling story of Steve Brixton’s first case. Our hero has a national treasure to recover, a criminal mastermind to unmask, and a social studies report due Monday – all while on the run from cops, thugs, and secret-agent librarians. (Goodreads)

The silly fun that started in The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza returns in this latest book. Soup has poisoned the Moon Queen. Can she — and the universe — be saved before it’s too late? Soup of Doom can be read alone or as a sequel (and be prepared for another madcap adventure!)   

A cyber-enhanced cat is sent into space to stop rats from eating the moon. Absurd humor propels this outlandish tale through the galaxy with unending gags, sure to make readers laugh aloud. It’s the first in a series which was inspired by Instagram video shorts created during the pandemic.

Like the life of Margaret Wise Brown, this is not a typical biography of an author. “Margaret Wise Brown lived for 42 years. This book is 42 pages long.” And while nobody’s entire life can fit in 42 pages, the important things can. In a conversational narration, key elements of Brown’s life and contributions are highlighted, illustrated in gently line and soft colors. Altogether, this is a fitting tribute to a singular author.

When a skunk first appears in the tuxedoed man’s doorway, it’s a strange but possibly harmless occurrence. But then the man finds the skunk following him, and the unlikely pair embark on an increasingly frantic chase through the city, from the streets to the opera house to the fairground. What does the skunk want? It’s not clear ― but soon the man has bought a new house in a new neighborhood to escape the little creature’s attention, only to find himself missing something …

In his old school, everyone knew Miles Murphy as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game. It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen. (Goodreads)

Triangle — a triangular shape with big eyes and stick legs — decides to leave his triangular house to play a trick on square. But turnabout is fair play in this whimsical but sardonic tale. The illustrator’s signature style are textured, deceivingly simple, and placed on open pages.  

“What is love?” a young boy asks. “I can’t answer that,” his grandmother says, and so the boy goes out into the world to find out. But while each person he meets — from the fisherman to the actor to everyone in between — has an answer to his question, not one seems quite right. The boy must find his own answers in this timeless affirmation of familial and familiar bonds.