Never Smile at a Monkey, by Steve Jenkins, is a book that presents a unique way of teaching children about dangerous and interesting animals. Each page is dedicated to one kind of animal, and many of them are common animals that we tend to know and love. Jenkins has written this short informational story with such passion that it is extremely difficult not to be taken in by all the interesting information I may never have known about the animals on our planet.
Even the title of this book caught my interest. I would never have thought not to smile at a monkey! It drew me in. I wanted to challenge the author for even suggesting this idea to me. I have a feeling that children would be equally as curious about this too. I thought the way Jenkins wrote the book, and saved the monkey for last, was also a smart way to do it. I wanted to read this book because I wanted to know why NOT to smile at a monkey, but along the way, I found out about why not interact with a lot of other animals too. Without even knowing that I was going to learn much with this book, I ended up learning a lot!
One of my favorite animals to read about in this book was the cub. It was interesting because the book states that cubs are not harmful in any way, but you need to stay away from them because their mothers are the dangerous animals. I had always thought, I guess, that bears are born dangerous and you need to stay away from them. It is cute to think that the little baby cubs are innocent and loving, just like the teddy bears that we have. The pictures that Jenkins draws of the cubs are adorable because they also look so innocent. This sort of represents a trend throughout the book. Jenkins presents many of these animals as innocent from afar, but once you get up close, things get dangerous. I like that little trick that he plays on the reader.
Some of the other animals in this book that shocked me were the kangaroo, the tang fish, the lizard, and of course, the monkey. Again, Jenkins first presents us with the animals that we know and love. Kangaroos, for example, are cute animals that jump and protect their young, much like humans do. However, Jenkins states that a kangaroo’s kick with its back feet can break a person’s chest! I would never have imagined kangaroos to be so dangers and powerful! It is easy to read the headings on each page, “Never badger a beaded lizard,” for example, and think “well, why can’t I?” Just two sentences later, however, I am sure that I never want to come face to face with a lizard again. Jenkins really makes the reader think and challenge some of things we have previously learned.
I mentioned at the beginning the Jenkins seems to write with such a passion that really draws me into the book. He really seems to be trying to impress us with this crazy information. He seems to know so much and expresses the information with such enthusiasm. For example, all the headings have catchy alliteration such as “Never caress and electric caterpillar.” He could easily have just told us to avoid electric caterpillars, but he thought up a more fun, exciting way to approach the topic. It shows me that he really seems to care about what he is writing about to be able to put forth all the extra effort to make little things come alive. The statements he makes about the animals are so threatening and leave such an impact as well. He must have spent quite a bit of time thinking about which words would leave the most lasting impressions. For example, “the cassowary can deliver a lethal kick with its sharp claws.” All of these animals are lethal and life threatening. Since he uses this amazing, intense language, I know I won’t forget to avoid these intense animals. I would most definitely bring this book into my classroom because I know students would love to explore all this great information!
