Mischievous Ameerah Monkey wants to cross the river but is scared of the water. She tricks her deadly enemy, Crocodile, into helping her reach the other side by promising to give him some monkey tails and money. During the journey Crocodile fantasises about how he will spend the money and Ameerah Monkey wonders how she will escape being Crocodiles next meal. This enchanting re-telling of an Afro-Caribbean tale is ideal for storytime. The lively illustrations capture the energy of the story and young children will be beside themselves if Ameerah Monkey manages to cross the river safely! Child Education This traditional Afro-Caribbean tale about a monkey tricking a crocodile into helping it cross the river is well dramatised by Fusek Peters in his retelling. The illustrations are bright and emotive. Particularly well judged, in the matching of text and illustration, is the sequence in which Crocodile entices Ameerah the monkey to sit closer and closer to his mouth. 'There, there, little monkey, I can feel you shivering with fright! Climb right up onto my neck and you shall be completely safe!' And we see Ameerah clinging terrified around the humps of Crocodile's eyes, with hands inches away from Crocodile's teeth. This stands out from the crowd of illustrated retellings because it has verbal and pictorial vitality. Carousel, Autumn 2003 When Ameerah Monkey wants to cross the river, she hatches a plot to trick Crocodile into helping her. But how will she escape being his next meal? And will Crocodile get his pot of Monkey Tail Soup? Reading News
