This Is My Fort! (Monkey & Cake #2)

K-Gr 2—Daywalt returns with a new entry in the easy reader series featuring best friends Monkey and Cake. In this title, Cake builds a fort from chairs and a blanket meant only for cakes. While Monkey begs and pleads, Cake will not let him in, hurting Monkey's feelings. Eventually, Cake realizes the wide world he is missing out on outside of his fort, and he and Monkey reunite to have some fun. The "Monkey & Cake" books will no doubt draw comparisons to similarly quirky series like "Elephant and Piggie," "Ballet Cat," and "Narwhal and Jelly, " with their bright colors and use of speech bubbles. Daywalt endearingly weaves humorous elements with friendship foibles young readers will relate to, as Monkey and Cake figure out how to navigate feeling left out. With one to two short sentences per page, this is an ideal option for beginning readers but would be effective shared one-on-one or with a group. VERDICT This silly, sweet tale of friendship is a first purchase for emerging reader collections.—Kathryn Justus, Renbrook School, West Hartford, CT

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for What Is Inside THIS Box? (Monkey and Cake):

* "On the theory that it's never too early to start considering the deep questions... eventually, in easy-to-follow steps, [Cake] comes around to the only logical position: that whatever is or is not in the box is more a matter of belief than something provable." — Booklist, starred review

"EXUBERANT, EXPRESSIVE AND FULL OF PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY... 4- to 8-year-olds will practice not only simple sentences but also a thought experiment... in a humorous coda, readers discover what seems to be the impossible truth." —- The Wall Street Journal

"Daywalt (The Day the Crayons Quit) and Tallec (This Book Will Not Be Fun) have crafted a delightful, philosophical romp that will please and intrigue beginning readers.... Funny and thought-provoking. A definite purchase for beginning reader collections." —- School Library Journal

Praise for The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors

* "Purely absurd, sidesplitting humor." — Booklist, starred review

* "The sort of story that makes children love to read." — School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for The Day the Crayons Quit

Amazon's 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year

Winner of the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award

* "These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Utterly original." — San Francisco Chronicle

Praise for This Book Will Not Be Fun, illustrated by Olivier Tallec:

* "Tallec's artwork... is impeccably turned out." — Publishers Weekly, starred review