APES A-GO-GO! Picture book review

There's a reason this title is in all caps.
That's the way it's written on the cover.
Also, that's the tone of this book. Big. Raucous. Fun!

Title: APES A-GO-GO!

Author: Roman Milisic
Illustrator: A. Richard Allen
Publisher: Knopf, 2014 (UK), US release 2015
Intended Age: 4-8
Themes: Cleaning, Good Intentions, Community
First Line: "Once upon a time, there was a lovely town. It was so well kept that it was set to win the Tidiest Town Competition for the third year in a row."

Synopsis: When the persnickety mayor notices that one detail is out-of-whack, a series of Great Apes tries to fix it with comical results.

What I like About this Book: There is a even mix of humorous child and parent appeal in this read aloud. The mayor is the stand-in for a parent who wants things done RIGHT. And the apes are the child-like foils who want to fix things, are completely well-intentioned, but don't always understand how their "fix" will have unintended results. It's probably not a spoiler alert to say that things go downhill quickly!
The author uses a fun read aloud (shout aloud!?) refrain - "Bogo! Pogo! Apes A-Go-Go!" that made me want to beat my chest in Tarzan-like fashion. The illustrator's use of black line over scenes washed with color added energy. The yellow, blue and pink skies, and brown, purple, green, orange and blue apes felt genuine and playful. And who can resist an ape in oven mitts! (FUN FACT - the author is a NY fashion designer who has designed for Lady Gaga)

Activities:
Watch the trailer! Here.

Learn about apes. First-School.ws and Easy Science for Kids have material for this age group.

Is there something at home that needs fixing? Brainstorm solutions and talk about the pros and cons of each suggestion. Try the one deemed best. Do other unexpected problems arise?

Discuss if the town is better at the start of the story, or at the end.

Bake a cake.

For older readers- compare the apes in this book to the ape characters in Furious George Goes Bananas (by Michael Rex), Ding Dong Ding Dong (by Margie Palatini) and Look! (by Jeff Mack).

Note: I received a review copy from Random House in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Max the Brave

     Summer has swept me away. A combination of chores and fun.
     But here's something A-dorable to get back on track.
     Book trailer time.

Max the Brave!

Going to try to do some catch-up tomorrow! Stories to highlight from the past month's reading are waiting in the wings. :)

Keep cool until then.

The Career Playbook - Recommended Read

 Title: The Career Playbook

Author: James M. Citrin
Publisher: Crown Business
Genre: Adult Nonfiction
Theme: Job Search, Job advancement

 For generations, people have been looking for jobs. The subject isn't a new one. And although some of the advice in The Career Playbook isn't "new" either, the author organizes the material in a logical concise, easy-to-read manner using concrete examples to illustrate his points and made this book a two thumbs up read for me.
     The subtitle of the book--Essential Advice for Today's Aspiring Young Professional--is a good description of the content. It's the information that I would want to give my job-seeking kids, but that kids probably don't want to hear from their parents. And because I believe parents shouldn't be involved in their kids' job search, this book is a super stand in.
     The book combines over-arching advice about the power of relationships and tenacity with practical examples of cover letter language and phone interview etiquette for job searchers. Suggestions for those in the early parts of their career such as being "a receiver of information, not a broadcaster." (p 131). Yes, some of this is common sense for many readers but when you are facing job search/job change stresses common sense often goes out the door and this is a good reminder of ways to put your best foot forward. In today's job market nothing is a gimme.
   I suggest skimming the information in Part 1 (pages 1-52) and then a slower read to digest the rest of the book (55-208).
   I can already think of a few people who might enjoy this so I am going to buy another copy of the book to pass on!

Note: I received a review copy from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Thanks for stopping by! I love to know what you think of my selections.