Book Review of Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed
The Children’s Book Review
Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed
Written by Suzanne Lang
Illustrated by Max Lang
Ages: 5-10 | 88 Pages
Publisher: Random House Studios (2021) | ISBN-13: 978-0-593-30601-7
What to Expect: Friendship, coping skills, helping others, and compromise.
In this graphic novel version of the best-selling Grumpy Monkey series, readers can empathize with Grumpy Monkey as he navigates selfishness, frustration, anger, impatience, and a host of other emotions that go naturally with being around other people.
Grumpy Monkey is looking forward to his Wednesday morning walk—but he doesn’t want anyone else tagging along! His quiet walk is supposed to be calming, but with Norman the Gorilla crunching apples, Oxpecker sneezing violently every few minutes, Turtle determined to race on the swinging vines, papaya fights breaking out, and being chased by hungry bees, it’s not turning out to be a very relaxing experience. His stress orange is the only thing keeping him calm—until he squeezes it so hard that it pops! Now his whole posse of friends is determined to help him replace it, getting in his way even more. But are they really being as unhelpful as he thinks they are? Perhaps Grumpy Monkey needs to think about something other than his own needs for the morning…
Gentle humor is conveyed through simple dialogue and expressive cartoon artwork, with an emphasis on facial expressions that invites readers to empathize with the characters’ emotions. Naturally, the story ends on a positive note, with Grumpy Monkey realizing the value of having friends that care, even if they are infuriating. Interspersed between each simple chapter are asides, including a frozen banana recipe, information on the differences between primates and monkeys, and instructions on how to speak a made-up secret language.
Like its picture book counterparts, Grumpy Monkey, Freshy Squeezed is a fantastic tool for helping young readers navigate emotional intelligence.
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About the Author
Suzanne Lang is the author of the New York Times bestselling Grumpy Monkey books and several other titles. When she’s not writing books, Suzanne writes for animation. When she’s not doing that, she hangs out with her very funny kids, feeds her many pets, and tries (but usually fails) to take a nap!
About the Illustrator
Max Lang has illustrated over 20 books, including all of the books in the Grumpy Monkey series. When he is not making books, he makes films. He has co-directed several animated films, including The Snail and the Whale, Zog, Room on the Broom, and The Gruffalo. He has received a BAFTA, two Emmys, two Oscar nominations, and many other honors for his film work. In his spare time, he tries to make his kids laugh with dad jokes, and when he inevitably fails, he takes his dogs for a walk.
More Grumpy Monkey Books:
- Grumpy Monkey Who Threw That?, by Suzanne and Max Lang
- Grumpy Monkey, by Suzanne and Max Lang
- Grumpy Monkey Don’t Be Scared, by Suzanne and Max Lang
- Grumpy Monkey Play All Day, by Suzanne and Max Lang
