Chimp and Zee

Chimp and Zee are a pair of impish banana-mongering monkeys who can't seem to keep themselves from monkeying around. One day they accompany "Mumkey" into Jungletown to shop for more bananas. In spite of their mother's warnings, the feisty twins promptly find themselves on a bigger adventure than they ever intended--one could almost say elephantine in proportion.

Catherine and Laurence Anholt have collaborated on more than 60 picture books, including Sophie and the New Baby, What Makes Me Happy?, and What I Like. Catherine Anholt's unusual illustrations, created by pasting cut-out pencil, ink, and watercolor images on colored paper, along with the hand-printed look of the type and the subject matter of the story-—are all faintly reminiscent of another jungle story: Jean De Brunhoff's The Story of Babar. Young readers will enjoy perusing the busy illustrations of Jungletown and picking out the three gray stones that turn out to be something quite different. Parents of simian-savvy children should prepare themselves to explain why these obviously tailed monkeys are named "Chimp and Zee," when they aren't chimpanzees! (Monkeys have tails; chimps don't.) Topsy-turvy taxonomy aside, this bright, oversized picture book is a fun, kid-tested read-aloud. (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter