Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed

Five Little Monkeys

by Eileen Christelow

After their mama reads to them, it's bedtime for the Five Little Monkeys. But they can't resist reading just one more book . . . or three! Soon Mama is so tired of trying to get her monkeys to quiet down and go to sleep, she picks up their books and takes them with her. At last, the monkeys are ready to settle down . . . until they hear strange sounds from down the hall. Could it be that Mama likes to read in bed too?  This playful addition to the bestselling Five Little Monkeys series features a lively rhymed verse and catchy refrain that's sure to keep young readers chanting along.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Humor, Storytime, 1st Grade

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Eileen Christelow is an acclaimed American author and illustrator of children’s books, best known for her beloved Five Little Monkeys series. Beginning with Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, a playful retelling of the classic nursery rhyme, the series has captivated generations of young readers with its humor and rhythmic storytelling. Over the course of her career, Christelow has published more than 30 books, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction, and many inspired by her surroundings in Vermont, her family life, and even her dog, Emma.
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1943, Christelow spent her formative years in Connecticut and briefly in Japan, where she attended the American School in Tokyo. She studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, a discipline that would influence her later work in design and illustration. After working for several years as a freelance photographer, she turned her focus to writing and illustrating picture books while raising her daughter in California. Her earliest works, Henry and the Red Stripes and Mr. Murphy’s Marvelous Invention, were published by Clarion Books in the early 1980s.
Christelow’s books often celebrate storytelling, curiosity, and mischief, appealing to children and educators alike. Titles like What Do Authors Do?, What Do Illustrators Do?, and Vote! provide engaging nonfiction content for young readers, while others such as Letters From a Desperate Dog and The Great Pig Escape draw on humorous real-life scenarios. Her works have received numerous accolades and several Five Little Monkeys titles have been translated into Spanish and Chinese.
She continues to live and work in East Dummerston, Vermont, in a home designed by her husband, where she draws inspiration from the natural beauty of the state. Christelow remains a cherished voice in children’s literature, with a lasting legacy of entertaining and educating young readers.

Reviews

[Furrawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book for little ones who love the Five Little Monkeys books or books/reading in general. It’s an adorable book. The monkeys are supposed to be asleep, but they keep reading. A lost puppy. A ghost. A joke book. Even the ending is adorable.

[Michelle Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I love this book. The story and jokes are adorable and, aside from having to use the word din, I felt like the rhyming flowed well. Definitely a keeper, very funny.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this one I’m a fan of. It’s repetitive enough so the kids can know what to expect, but also varies enough that it keeps it interesting. I have two little monkeys that can’t get enough of books at night. Mom and dad then go and read in their bed for a long time too..

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I don't condone disobedience, I do certainly understand that the struggle is real - putting a book down and going to bed is. so. hard. Haha.

Ages: 4 - 7

Here’s a few of our bedtime favs: watch my reel!

Content Considerations: there is a couple pages with a ghost and goblin pictured as the monkeys are reading a spooky story. The monkeys don't listen to their mother but keep reading in bed.

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[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I missed this book when I was still a librarian! So when I saw it at Barnes and Noble, I had to buy it! This is a librarian's dream book! It shows kids, not tells kids, how much fun books are to read! The rhyme of course, is similar to Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, maybe not quite as good a rhythm, but close enough to be fun. The monkeys read through several books including a joke book (we never managed to get enough of those in the library, no matter how hard I tried!) and a scary book of ghosts and a tearful one of a lost puppy. Well you all know what the ending has to be and sure enough Mama repeats the kids' mischief!

Read to Jude 5/4/23. I don't think he was impressed with it....I'll check to see with parents.

[Chow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun illustrations to a well known children’s song and story.

[Garrett Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed
Author: Eileen Christelow
Publisher: Scholasitc INC. 2005
Summary: Five little monkeys always go to bed by their mama reading them a book . Their mama only reads one book to them each night but the little monkeys want to read more and more. They decided since their mama will only read one book they could try and read books on their own. So they do, book after book they get spooked and scared. Mama catches them reading multiple times and tells them to go to bed! Finally, the monkeys try to go to bed but they end up catching their mama reading in her bed as well!
Genre:Fiction
Grade Level: Pre-K/K
Lexile Level:260L
Guided Reading Level:M
Common Core Teaching Idea:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

With your Kindergarten class you can ask your students if they read books before going to bed. This group discussion will support the books main theme and also actively engage your students to start having their parents read to them before they go to bed.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Five Little Monkeys book, this time I think it's my favorite. The monkeys just can't go to sleep, the must read one more book. Mama tells them, "Lights out! Sweet dreams! No more reading in bed!" But, they just can't help themselves and inevitably end up getting caught reading by flashlight. The ending is so fun! This is a nice group read aloud or bedtime story.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

For young book lovers. Mama has read four books and she says it's time for bed. However, the 5 little monkeys can't resist another book, and another and another. However, when they are finally tired out who do they hear?

Maybe I can read this and then play the jumping on the bed song...

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny. Ben felt the need to read every single background noise in this story.

[Satangan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. A nice chance to have Five little Monkeys reading instead of jumping and falling off the bed.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this one to Caleb! It's funny, silly, and has nice rhymes (I love rhyming in kid's books). I think it's a great book to promote reading to little ones too since the monkeys are reading all kinds of books from scary stories to funny stories. It also has some repetition with the mother coming back into their bedroom and saying the same thing each time; I think kids will appreciate that and catch on quickly. This is a keeper that I'm glad to have on Caleb's shelf! I'll have to get him some of the other Five Little Monkeys books!

First read: 8/8/15.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The monkeys are back! Mama reads them a book and they want to read just one more... and one more. It's a silly book that kids and parents will love because they've been told, "Just one more book."

After mama tells them it's time for lights out, they keep reading more books. And each time mama comes to their room, tells them lights out. After the monkeys turn out the light they hear a giggle and a sniff. Then they catch mama reading in bed.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun installment in the Five Monkeys series. This time, the young monkeys can't go to sleep because they are reading!

[Abby Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed finds just what the title suggests, with five monkeys reading past their bedtime. When Mommy Monkey catches them reading after lights out, they are only settled for a few minutes before they're back at the books, responding to spooky stories with screams and joke books with rambunctious laughter. Only a short while later do the monkeys find their mother reading in bed, too. Oh, those double standards! This book is a fun and engaging read, appropriate for a broad age range with rhyming and a funny plot. These are paired with a lovely watercolor illustrative style. No more monkeys jumping on the bed -- now they're reading in bed!

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A very nice extension of the Five Little Monkeys series that is sure to hit home with any book-lover. In this one, the monkeys stay up past their bedtime enjoying various books, from the sad to the scary to the funny.

A very cute book. I do prefer the Five Little Monkeys books that incorporate counting, but this is still a very nice book. I love the rhyming. It makes for a very soothing read.

Fun and engaging, I really enjoyed the incorporation of speech bubbles. It is a great way to make reading more fun for beginning readers.

Great book for the young book-lover in your life.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love reading in bed? This fun little book celebrates many of the different genres you can read.

* Talking points: What's your favorite time of day to read? What's your favorite place to read? What's your favorite genre to read?

** Essential Oil Pairing tips: Want to go to sleep? Try doTERRA's Lavender, Petitgrain or Serentiy essential oil blend. Want to stay up and finish your favorite book? Try Peppermint. Want to remember what you've read? Try Rosemary. Diffusing any of these oils would be a great pairing for this book.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whatever those five little monkeys do, they do it in a BIG way.

No surprise, then, when they start reading in bed, hello! These turn out to be very-very noisy readers.

I love Pages 8-9.

Finishing one picture book:

"It's such a good ending, their sobs turn to cheers.
These monkeys are LOUD! (You should cover your ears!)

That's how the text stars, and wait until you see those highly expressive illustrations. Equally hilarious are those on Pages 24-27.

FIVE STARS because this book is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

[R.Q. Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quickly becoming my favorite book to read to the kids (ages 2 and 4). It actually holds their attention. The rhyming and flow is natural and smooth. Both kids seem to understand what the story is about and enjoy looking at the pictures. It's a great length: not too long where it loses their interest or drags, not too short where it's hardly worth reading. It's also adorable. I highly recommend it.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve had this book for a while, but my two-year-old is really loving it right now. The poem is fun and my daughter loves saying Mama’s lines. This would be fun for the classroom too as you could have kids take turns saying Mama’s parts. I’ve seen comments about the disobedience, but it’s really just mild mischief from kids who just want one more story! I remember doing the same thing as a child and reading by whatever dim light I could get from the hall.

[AFP · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" is one of A's favorite song, and she likes the original book a ton (which she reads at school). But this one takes it up a notch in her esteem because it's about the little monkeys READING in bed and their Mama says "no more monkeys reading in the bed!"

Which is appropriate, because my little monkey often has to be reminded to nap, not read books, during naptime. :D :D :D

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute! The illustrations are well-done and illustrate the story perfectly. When the 5 little monkeys are sent to bed but aren't quite ready to go to sleep they read themselves some books which lead to crying, screams, and laughter. A great bedtime story that will be enjoyed by children and parents both.

[Shauna Ludlow Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of the author’s books in this series, but especially this new one about reading. Of course the naughty monkeys don’t go to sleep after mama asks them—several times. But guess who stays up reading books about adventures, jokes and ghosts?

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great adaptation of the Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed. I would read Jumping on the bed first and then this one to a class to teach them how it is possible to do this type of retake on the same rhyme scheme successfully.

[Brianna Shrout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, easy read. For the book lover in all of us who want to instill that love of reading in your kids, this is for you. Who doesn’t like to stay up past their bedtime and read? The ending is my favorite part ❤️.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/8/17 Read with Julia.

[Karenetha Easterwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great bedtime story

Classic five little monkey story. The five siblings are at it again. Telling their favorite stories. Frustrated mommy tries to get them to bed.

[Kary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to each of my preK classes this week, and they loved it! We followed it up with singing "5 Little Monkeys."

[Morgan Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spin off of Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed

[Kymberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

short, sweet, and cute!