Monkey Business

Dorothy's trip to the zoo with her prim and proper aunt doesn't stop her from having an imaginative rapport with the animals.

PreSchool-Grade 2 These striking illustrations deserve a better story. In a rhythmic, repetitive text, Dorothy's aunt cautions her not to touch one zoo animal after another; Dorothy rebelliously wishes she could, and on alternate spreads fantasizes about playing with each. The close-up animal portraits are realistic and finished down to the hair and pinfeathers, but Dorothy's fantasy rings intense color changes on them; zebras become purple and yellow, pigeons opalescent reds and blues, chimpanzees a glowing pink-orange. In a jarring climax, a hideously grimacing chimp pelts Dorothy's aunt with food, and (wish-fulfilment gone berserk), while she's cleaning herself off, the zookeeper invites Dorothy to help him feed the animals before an admiring crowd. Burningham's Come Away from the Water, Shirley (Harper, 1977; o.p.) handles a similar idea with more imagination; the text has a natural sound to it, the conclusion is more believable, and Shirley's daydream is a story rather than a series of set scenes. John Peters, New York Public Library
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