Introduction
Eileen Christelow is the author of many children’s illustrated stories, including “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” This short story presents the narrative of how five monkeys jumped on the bed and fell off in turn, forcing the family to see a doctor (Christelow, 2018). The illustrations make this narrative feel like an adapted children’s book, allowing young readers to immerse themselves in the story.
Book Analysis
Vivid illustrations accompany Christelow’s story on every page; they are an integral part of the text. The illustrations are created in a humanized style, allowing readers to establish an emotional connection with the characters. The book consistently tells young readers the dangers of such behavior. The illustrations serve didactic purposes, colorfully presenting the consequences of a fall: a visit to a doctor, taking medicine, and bandaged heads. Bright pictures help children better remember which behaviors are not expected of them.
The main goal, apart from moral didactics, is to teach children to count. “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” is a counting book because the repeated refrain of the pictures calls for counting how many monkeys have already fallen and how many are left to jump. With this technique, the author encourages the development of counting skills, and the number five is particularly important for children to learn to count on one hand. The illustrations allow you to clearly see how many monkeys appear at specific points in the story.
Conclusion
In conclusion, “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” is a book for young readers, offering a didactic moral and teaching children to count. Both goals are achieved through vivid illustrations that take precedence over text. While reading this story, children can count the number of monkeys at each moment of action on the fingers of one hand. The didactic purpose is to depict the consequences of thoughtless behavior in a colorful way.
Reference
Christelow, E. (2018). Five little monkeys 5-minute stories. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.