About This Book
Reach for this classic when your child is grappling with big feelings like frustration or the feeling of being mimicked or teased. It is the perfect story for a child who needs to see that even a very bad day can be solved with a bit of cleverness and a deep breath. The book follows a peddler who carries his colorful hats stacked high on his head. While he naps, a group of monkeys steals them, leading to a humorous standoff where the monkeys mirror his every move. It is a gentle, rhythmic tale that validates a child's feelings of anger while modeling a surprising path toward a solution. Parents will appreciate the simple, repetitive language that encourages early literacy and the timeless humor that keeps kids engaged through multiple readings.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
None.
Ideal Reader
A preschooler or kindergartner who loves physical comedy and repetition, or a child who is currently struggling with the 'copying' phase of social development and needs a laugh about it.
Parent Prep
This book is a wonderful 'cold read.' The only preparation is to get ready to do some fun voices and physical gestures (like finger-shaking and foot-stomping) to match the peddler and monkeys. A parent might choose this after their child has had a meltdown because someone was 'copying' them or when a child feels stuck in a cycle of frustration where their demands aren't being met.
Age Experience
Younger children (3-4) delight in the 'peek-a-boo' style reveal of the monkeys and the repetition of the monkeys' responses. Older children (5-7) appreciate the irony of the resolution and can identify with the peddler's loss of composure.
What Makes It Special
Its enduring power lies in the 'mimicry' mechanic. Unlike many stories where a problem is solved through logic or kindness, this one is solved through an accidental display of emotion that happens to exploit the monkeys' natural behavior.
Read plot summary
A traveling peddler who wears his entire inventory of caps on his head takes a nap against a tree. Upon waking, he finds his caps are missing, only to look up and see a band of monkeys in the branches, each wearing one of his caps. He tries shouting, stomping, and gesturing to get them back, but the monkeys simply mimic his actions. In a final fit of frustration, he throws his own cap on the ground, and the monkeys follow suit, returning his inventory.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Why did the monkeys copy the peddler when he shook his finger and stomped his feet?
2
How did the peddler feel when he first woke up and saw his caps were gone? How would you feel?
3
The peddler got very angry, but that didn't get his caps back. What finally made the monkeys drop the caps?
4
If you were the peddler, what would you have done to get the monkeys to come down from the tree?
