Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem

If you liked MONKEY WITH A TOOL BELT by Chris Monroe (and how could you not have), you will LOVE this new book about the same character. I was thrilled to see MONKEY WITH A TOOLBELT AND THE NOISY PROBLEM when I was at NCTE. How did I miss this book about a character I love?

I loved the first book about this monkey because, well, how could you not? A monkey with a tool belt is a very funny idea and I loved it from the start. But, to be honest, I was worried that a new book about this character might not be so funny since I was already used to the idea of the monkey and the tool belt.

I was pleasantly surprised. As I was reading the book to myself at the kitchen table, I must have laughed a little too loud because my husband asked what I was laughing at. I don't want to give the story away, but Chico Bon Bon (the monkey with the tool belt) can't figure out what it is that is making the loud noise in his tree house. He knows he can fix it if he can just figure out what it is that is making the noise. He uses many tools to investigate. He finally does find the noise and solves the problem (but I can't give this part away.) There are so many things that made me laugh in this book--his tools, his 100-watt flashlight, his earplugs and especially his "hear-a-lot tool". I loved the illustration of his house with a bazillion rooms. And I so loved the 12 steps he used to solve his problem (by using more of his clever tools!).

This is a great story. I keep finding things that I missed during the first read. I am thinking it will make a great read aloud this week. Definitely not a disappointment -this character is definitely one that I hope to see again (and soon) in more books! The author is a genius!