The Clever Monkey Rides Again (Story Cove)

A foolish lion and a clever monkey provide laughs and lessons in this African folktale. 

Our friend the very clever monkey is up to his old tricks in this humorous African folktale. The Clever Monkey Rides Again, as told by Rob Cleveland, takes place long ago in the African jungle where a terrible bully lion roamed. The lion played all sorts of mean tricks and childish pranks on all of the animals. They were too afraid of the lion to stand up to his bullying. That is, until our friend the clever monkey hears the nuisance and starts to laugh. He uses his trickery to embarrass the lion and his humiliation leads him to run away, never to return to that part of the jungle again. Readers will learn the importance of courage and resourcefulness, while also learning about the consequences of bullying. 

This story comes from Africa. Variants of it can be found among Brer Rabbit tales, with Brer Rabbit in the role of the monkey and Brer Fox in the role of the lion. There is a similar story in Native American folklore entitled, "How Rabbit Fooled Wolf." Rob Cleveland is storyteller-in-residence at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia and is the author of several Story Cove books. 

Rob Cleveland Bio: 

Rob Cleveland is an award winning author, professional storyteller, workshop leader, accomplished film and stage actor, as well as a popular comedian. Rob has authored seven Story Cove picture books. He is also a popular keynote speaker for state and regional reading conferences where he shares his perspective on the unique role that folktales play in our lives and the critical contribution that the oral tradition can make in helping young children develop their core reading skills. In addition, Rob is storyteller-in-residence at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta. His talent for crafting memorable stories landed him at Emory University Law School where he leads workshops for law students about how to tell an engaging story. Recently, he adapted, directed and appeared in a series of slave stories from The Adventures of High John the Conqueror for the National Black Arts Festival. Although Rob travels across the country, he lives with his family in Atlanta, Georgia.

Tom Wrenn Bio:

Tom is a graphic designer and illustrator with more than 17 years experience. He is skilled at design, animation and illustration in a variety of media including children’s books, websites, television, and published materials. Tom has illustrated and animated nine Story Cove picture books. He currently lives in Florida with his wife and daughter.