Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Great illustrations in funny story of animals' morning walk.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In GRUMPY MONKEY FRESHLY SQUEEZED, Jim Panzee wakes up, stretches, picks up his stress orange, and goes out for his regular Wednesday walk to relax and enjoy the silence of being alone and hearing only the jungle. But today, his friend Norman follows him, and soon there's a whole line of jungle friends overtaking Jim's quiet walk. They're making it impossible to find the new stress orange he wants so badly, and the parrots make it even worse.
Is It Any Good?
The graphic novel format is a perfect fit for the antics of Jim Panzee and his jungle friends, showcasing the great facial expressions and story details that are so much fun for early readers. Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed is an engaging, giggle-inducing story of friendships, flexibility, empathy, and patience, paired with bright illustrations that have a remarkable way of conveying emotion with a raised eyebrow or slumped shoulder. The themes of the story are great for discussion, helping readers understand the times that they or others need alone time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how they feel when their alone time is interrupted, like Jim's is in Grumpy Monkey Freshly Squeezed. When have you felt glad about being interrupted? When is a time you would've liked to still be alone?
Jim repeats a phrase while he walks to help him relax. What do you do to relax when you're stressed or worried?
What other graphic novels have you enjoyed reading? What's fun about them?
Book Details
- Author: Suzanne Lang
- Illustrator: Max Lang
- Genre: Graphic Novel
- Topics: Adventures , Friendship , Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Random House Studio
- Publication date: June 29, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 5 - 8
- Number of pages: 88
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 5, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
What to Read Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate