Hello, friends! Our book today is The Farmer and the Monkey by Marla Frazee, a quirky little tale of a very odd couple told entirely in pictures.

A farmer returns home from a picnic, not noticing that he is being followed by a monkey. The little simian, jauntily clad in collar and fez, trails the farmer all the way to his isolated house, surprising the man at the window before being welcomed inside. Upon entering, however, his wild ways cause a ruckus including damaging a beloved keepsake (one that fans of this title’s previous installment, The Farmer and the Clown, will recognize). Angrily, the farmer orders the monkey out, and the animal has nowhere to go when snow begins to fall. Will the farmer find a way to forgive his unexpected visitor?

Soft and sweet. While a few finer plot points may be unclear to those who missed the first installment of the series, this simple tale of a chance encounter and caring for those in need (even when they can be difficult houseguests) is just as warm and engaging as a stand-alone. Frazee does a wonderful job of conveying mood, emotion, and even conversation without a single written word; her softly textured pencil artwork features beautifully shaded environments and whimsically charming characters. Without text, the length is up to the reader, and JJ had a lovely time describing the illustrations and telling her interpretation of the story. This was a beautiful tale, and made us very interested to read to other two books in the trilogy. We definitely recommend checking out this one out, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)