Hello, friends! Today’s review is Maxwell The Monkey Barber by Cale Atkinson, a delightful story about a helpful hairstylist who keeps the beasts of the jungle neatly coiffed.

Every day, Maxwell the monkey barber opens his little shop, and the customers roll in right away. Up today: a baboon whose out-of-control hairdo has ensnared all manner of critters, large and small; a lion whose scraggly mane is in dire need of a makeover; and a bear whose burly beard is now brushing the ground. After Max fixes up each head of hair, he sends his customers off with a smile and an assurance that their hair is the best he’s seen that day. But at the end of one day, a sad elephant comes to call: he doesn’t have any hair, and his head gets quite cold. This might be Maxwell’s toughest challenge yet: how can he give the elephant the ‘do of his dreams without a single hair to work with?

Absolutely charming! Maxwell’s story is simply adorable: sweet, funny, cheerful, and with just the right amount of fluff. Maxwell’s solution of using his customers’ hair to create wigs for those who need them shows kindness and compassion, and is reminiscent of charities who do the same for cancer and burn patients, making this a great way to teach kids about donating hair. The illustrations are darling, using bright colors and wonderfully expressive characters to capture readers’ attention and imagination. The length is great, and JJ and I both loved it. Baby Bookworm approved!