Monkey with a Tool Belt by Chris Monroe.

I am late to the table with this one.  You have probably read the chorus of positive reviews across the Kid Lit Blogs.  But let me add my voice to it.

Chico Bon Bon is a monkey with a tool belt.  He can build all sorts of things and loves to fix things too.  Then one day, Chico sees a tempting banana split across the street and heads over too it.  Before he realizes it, he is trapped!  An organ grinder has caught him in a box and taken him to the circus.  Never fear though, Chico has a plan and of course it involves his tool belt.

This is smart picture book, celebrating intelligence and ingenuity.  The text is so much fun to read with its made-up terms and great pacing.  The pictures complete the book perfectly.   They are quirky, funny and just like the text do not talk down to the child audience.  What a treat!

Highly recommended especially for tool-loving girls and boys.  Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold.

Sally the duck is very excited to get her new purple socks in the mail.  When she opens the box, the socks are way too small.  Then she finds a note that says that they will grow to the size ordered.  Sally wonders if she told them her size, but soon the socks fit perfectly.  Unfortunately, the socks aren’t through growing yet.  And as they grow, Sally comes up with new and inventive uses for them other than socks.  Will they ever stop growing?

The charm of this book is in its simplicity and humor.  The story is simply told with a matter-of-fact style that matches the illustrations well.  Sally is an engaging figure on the page.  Her obvious delight is apparent as is her positive approach to problems. 

A charmer of the story, add this to your shoe and sock story time.  Simple enough to be used with three year olds, this will appeal to children through age 6 because of the humor.  Make a matching pair with New Socks by Bob Shea.