Presents four stories about best friends Monkey and Robot, who try out Halloween costumes, visit the beach, consider what to do with a tire they find and figure out if it is morning or night. - (Baker & Taylor)

Presents four stories about best friends Monkey and Robot, who try out Halloween costumes, visit the beach, consider what to do with a tire they find, and figure out if it is morning or night. - (Baker & Taylor)

Monkey and Robot are the best of friends&;and they have the best of adventures! This chapter book includes four (more!) playful stories.

Monkey always gets in the wildest of messes. And Robot is always there to help him out. After all, what are best friends for?

&;Readers looking for funny friendship stories but who think that Frog and Toad and other early readers are a tad too easy will find this unlikely duo just right,&; says Horn Book Magazine about the Monkey and Robot series. - (Simon and Schuster)

Peter Catalanotto has written seventeen books for children, including Monkey & Robot, More of Monkey & Robot, The Newbies, Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All, Ivan the Terrier, Matthew A.B.C., and Emily&;s Art, of which School Library Journal said in a starred review, &;whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece.&; In 2008, First Lady Laura Bush commissioned Peter to illustrate the White House holiday brochure. He currently teaches the first children&;s book writing course offered by both Columbia University and Pratt Institute. Peter has illustrated more than thirty books for other writers including George Ella Lyon, Cynthia Rylant, Mary Pope Osborne, Joanne Ryder, Robert Burleigh, and Megan McDonald.  - (Simon and Schuster)

Horn Book Guide Reviews

In four chapters for new independent readers, Monkey (Monkey & Robot) continues to make a mess, and Robot helps him fix things, at the beach, in the front yard, on Halloween, and while telling time. Catalanotto has created two distinct and likable characters--unlikely pals who understand each other. Black-and-white pencil illustrations provide helpful visual cues for the easy-to-decode text.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Monkey and Robot are back (Monkey & Robot, rev. 1/13) in four stories for new readers. Monkey continues to make a mess, and Robot patiently helps him fix things. First Monkey worries about what to be for Halloween. No one wants a repeat of last year when he went as a dentist and stuck his fingers into people's mouths. He ends up putting a pot on his head, pretending to be Robot (he wants to dress up as "something that everybody likes"). In the second chapter, Monkey and Robot are at the beach, but Robot can't go into the water, and Monkey won't go swimming without his friend. In the third, the two figure out the best use for a tire Monkey finds in the front yard. In the final story, Monkey is confused by the clock and unsure whether it is morning or nighttime. Catalanotto weaves humor into each easy-to-read story, inviting the reader to help Monkey with his confusion…and to feel a little superior at the same time. It's unusual to see such clear personalities in a book for the very young, but Catalanotto has created two distinct and likable characters -- unlikely pals who understand each other. Black-and-white pencil illustrations that provide helpful visual cues and lots of easy-to-decode text fill each page, making this the perfect bridge to chapter books for new readers looking for the next book. robin l. smit Copyright 2014 Horn Book Magazine.

Kirkus Reviews

Odd-couple friends find the best in each another. First, Monkey can't pinpoint a good idea for a Halloween costume. His bemused pal reminds him that it's June, but Monkey is nonetheless fixated on finding just the right disguise. In this story and in the three that follow, Robot is indulgent of his rather silly friend, and he's clearly the brighter of the two. Graphite-and-ink illustrations lend a classic feel to the book while supporting characterization by underscoring the winning qualities of Monkey's sweet nature. He refuses to swim at the beach since Robot cannot join him and then later exuberantly plants an acorn to grow an oak, so he can turn the tire he's just found into a swing. In the prior instance, Robot rewards his friend's loyalty by pretending to lose his shovel and asking Monkey to swim into the water to retrieve it; in the latter, he patiently helps Monkey understand that waiting for an oak tree to grow from an acorn will mean they won't have a tire swing for quite some time. All is not lost, though, when they find another solution to this quandary. The collection concludes with a story quietly reminiscent of Laura Vaccaro Seeger's Dog and Bear: Two's Company (2009) as Robot wears himself out trying to gather things needed for breakfast. A strong second outing in this new series for new readers. (Early reader. 6-8) Copyright Kirkus 2013 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2—Independent readers will identify with Monkey and Robot as the two buddies return in this romp filled with humor, kindness, and friendship. Divided into four stand-alone chapters, the stories provide kids with amusing antics of two unlikely pals as they plan for Halloween, enjoy a day at the beach, make a new friend, and figure out if it's time for breakfast or bedtime. Fun-loving, energetic, curious, and entertaining Monkey and wise, systematic, patient, and kind Robot are perfectly transparent with each other. Graphite pencil-and-ink drawings provide ample reading support with charming black-and-white illustrations. This story is ideal for children developing their own emotional intelligence and budding friendships.—Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI