The Case of the Moody Simian: Grumpy Monkey by Suzanna Lang

ONE WONDERFUL DAY JIM PANZEE WOKE TO DISCOVER THAT NOTHING WAS RIGHT.

The sun is bright. BLEAH! The sky is blue. BLAH!

The bananas are sweet! YUK!

Nothing pleases Jim.

"MAYBE YOU'RE GRUMPY," SAID NORMAN.

"I'M NOT GRUMPY!" JIM INSISTED.

Norman the gorilla gives up. Soon Jim's other friends rush in to assure him it's glorious day, but he only grows grumpier. They offer mood-lifting remedies. Marabou tells him to relax his tense shoulders. Jim does, but un-hunching doesn't help. Lemur points out that Jim is beetle-browed. Snake suggests a smile.

FINALLY JIM LOOKED HAPPY.

But he wasn't. The birds offer to sing. The zebras recommend a relaxing roll in the grass. Python offers a big hug. Everybody has a recommendation for mood elevation.

BUT JIM DIDN'T WANT ANY OF THAT.

"I AM NOT GRUMPY!"

He storms off by himself, leaving everyone behind. Jim is a monk in a funk!

But then he comes upon Norman. Norman has made the mistake of hugging Porcupine and acquired quills in his backside. Now he, too, is grumpy.

Misery loves company, in Suzanna Lang's Grumpy Monkey (Random House, 2018), and Jim at last has found someone to commiserate with his mood. Jim and Norman agree that they are grumpy. What they both need, they decide, is to declare it a Grumpy Day and hang out and mope together.

Lang's grumpy protagonist is a perfect foil for his hyper-optimistic pals, and artist Max Lang provides his comedic illustrations which will have readers smiling from the git-go. Some days just seem to dawn to be terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad days with no choice but to outlive them. As Norman points out...

"IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY TO BE GRUMPY."

Share this one with Molly Bang's wonderful Caldecott-winning When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry… (Scholastic Bookshelf). or Judith Viorst's classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Primate Party Pooper! Grumpy Monkey: PARTY TIME! by Suzanne Lang

One perfectly pleasant afternoon, Jim Panzee found an invitation.

You are invited to Porcupine's party!

Jim Panzee's best friend Norman is ecstatic!

"We can dance!" he exulted.

"Dance?" said Jim. "I can't DANCE!"

"CAN'T DANCE?" cried all the others.

Norman and the other animals pooh-pooh Jim's disclaimer. Hyena insists that anyone can dance. Lizard says to listen to the beat. Ostrich suggests that Jim just strut his stuff. They all demonstrate their best moves. Jim is confused by all of it.

Is Hyena hip hopping? Is Warthog waltzing? Does Lizard do the Lindy Hop?

They drag Jim out and make him try to dance. At last they declare he's ready to party down at Porcupine's bash.

Finally it's the day for grumpy Jim Panzee to reveal his dancing style. He capitulates and joins the Congo line of critters. Everyone is having a ball until suddenly Jim stops in the middle of the music and, in a moment of self-awareness, makes a pronouncement.

"NO! I DON'T LIKE DANCING!"

The dancers all stop, dumbfounded, and stare at Jim Panzee.

Then someone speaks up.

"Actually," said Water Buffalo, " I don't like dancing, but I never said anything because I thought I was the only one!"

"I always feel silly on the dance floor!" admitted Maribou.

"To be honest," added Bat, "dance floors are too LOUD!"

Porcupine is disappointed. He feels like a bad host and he bemoans the thought that all his party food will be wasted.

"WAIT!" said Jim Panzee. "There's FOOD at this party?"

It seems that there is plenty for everyone to do at Porcupine's party, in Suzanne Lang's sequel to her best-selling picture book, Grumpy Monkey (review here). In her latest, Grumpy Monkey Party Time! (Random House, 2019), with the assistance of artist Max Lang's hilarious illustrations of his curmudgeonly chimp, Lang's deft portrayal of a serious case of social anxiety offers support for those who don't enjoy boogie-ing down to feel fine about socializing in other ways. In a story that speaks to all those different drummers among its readers, Jim Panzee's latest comic adventure stands out in the crowd.

Do SOMETHING! Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Bird woke up one morning on the wrong side of the nest.

He was too grouchy to eat or to fly.

"LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE WALKING TODAY!" HE SAID.

Sheep bleated at him blithely, as Bird stomped by, asking what he is doing.

"WALKING!"

Sheep was good at following, so he joined Bird just as Rabbit hopped into view and asked what Bird is doing.

"WALKING. IT'S NO FUN." Bird snapped.

Raccoon poked his nose out and asked the same question.

"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?" SAID BIRD.

The two joined the procession right behind Sheep.

Beaver asked what Bird was doing.

"HINT: YOU PLACE ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE THE OTHER ONE," GROUCHED BIRD.

Fox slips out of the forest to ask what is going on with this parade.

"I'M WALKING, OKAY?" BIRD SNAPS!

Fox falls in line behind the others.

Bird plodded on doggedly, muttering to himself.

"WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M DOING?"

Bird decided to demonstrate to his followers just how silly they looked, trailing along behind him.

He tried hopping on one leg. He jumped straight up. They all repeated his actions.

Wait! It's like a game of Monkey see, monkey do!" They'll do anything he does.

"THIS IS FUN!" Bird suddenly decided.

It's hard to stay grumpy when you have a line of silly animals behind you, imitating your every move, in Jeremy Tankard's Grumpy Bird (Scholastic Books), as Bird suddenly sees himself in his motley imitators, and he is no longer in a bad mood. He is in a great mood! "Jeremy Tankard's deceptively simple tale is a useful tonic for moody kids -- and their parents -- but the best thing about it is the comic perfection of Bird's face as he marches along in a fury," says The Wall Street Journal. For a double dose of mood enhancer, share this one with Suzanne and Max Lang's best-selling and equally funny, Grumpy Monkey. (See my review here)

The House That Pete Built: Pete the Cat and the Tip-Top Tree House by James Dean

PETE THE CAT HAS BUILT A TREE HOUSE.

One by one his friends--Callie Cat, Thomas Cat, Marty Monkey, Emma Dog, and Grumpy Toad--show up and lend a hand with the construction.

Pete is proud! Of course he invites all his helpers to a tree-house-warming party.

"COME PLAY!"

Pete and his pals climb up the ladder. But when they all get into the tree house, there's just one problem.

"IT'S TOO SMALL!"

Cheerfully Pete shrugs and agrees to expand his construction. Emma Dog draws up the blueprints and, and like most new houses, all the friends add their ideas for the perfect tree house. They start the expansion project, each one working on a special section to do their own favorite thing.

Marty Monkey has a video game arcade. Pete has a wave pool for indoor surfing. There is a bowling alley, a movie theater, a ski park, a climbing wall, and an ice-skating rink. Every friend has a place for his own favorite thing to do. There's just one problem.

"WE ARE ALL ALONE!"

It's the old story of too much of a good thing, in James Dean's newest, Pete the Cat and the Tip-Top Tree House (My First I Can Read) (Harper, 2017), as Pete the Cat and his pals descend to head for the good old jungle gym where they can all play together. James Dean's story of the perfect fantasy play place is a likable lure to get emergent readers to practice their beginning reading skills while living out their summer play fantasies in this new My First Book in Harper's famous I-Can-Read series, now celebrating its fortieth anniversary.

This Is Your Life, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete by James Dean

PETE LOVES TO PLAY WITH HIS FRIENDS AND TRY NEW THINGS.

Pete is a groovy cat who needs no introduction to most kids. But for those tykes just being introduced to books, his creator, James Dean, has provided him with a vita of his own, a brand-new tabbed board book, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete (Harper Festival, 2017).

With tabs at the top and right side of this sturdy board book, young readers can access thumbnail pictures and descriptions of Pete and his besties--Bob, his brother, who teaches Pete what he needs to know; Pete's Mom and Dad, who are far-out parents who drive him to lessons and teach him new stuff to do; Callie, the nicest cat around, Emma, a dandy dog who plays catch with Pete; Grumpy Toad, who hits the road on his monster cycle; Gus, Pete's shy but persistent percussionist, and Marty the Monkey, who take care of the necessary silliness for the group.

For tots who are likely to need a cast of characters before tackling the many adventures of Pete The Cat, this little board book is a handy guide, not only to all things Pete, but also as an introduction to the concept of the table of contents for any book, a nice gift for the youngest Pete fans!