Story Time - Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom

“Story Time” will be a recurring feature on Mommy Nature, introducing children’s books with a nature theme.  Watch for them in the future to help expand your child’s library.

Story Time – Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom, written by Steve Smallman, Illustrated by Nick Schon

I love creation stories for children!  You know… those simple explanations for the way things are.  Cultures from around the world have been telling creation stories since the beginning of their language.  These stories help to explain things to children that are too complicated for them to understand, such as where they came from, why they exist, or why something looks the way it does.  I know many of these stories and will use them in future posts as they relate to my subject; but recently, I was thrilled to find Monkey with the Bright Blue Bottom at my local library.  It’s not an old creation story told by generations of families, but is a refreshingly new story that explains why certain animals have the colors they do.  It uses humor and rhyme making it a joy to read.  My daughter also loved listening to it over and over again.  Additionally, we are lucky enough to have a local zoo that houses mandrills (the real monkey with the blue bottom).  In real life, mandrills use their coloration to communicate.  Even if you don’t have a nearby zoo with these colorful animals, after reading this book, you’ll be inspired to take a trip to your local zoo with your child to inspect each color on the animals you see. 

Please let me know if you’ve come across a gem of a story for children about nature.  You’re welcome to tell me a little about the book and why you like it.  Books are always a favorite for young children; and I, like many of you, am always looking for the perfect addition for my daughter’s bookshelf.