Monkey business

Summary

This story explores the unique roles that different animals play in the wild, emphasizing the importance of each species' behavior and characteristics. Elephants use their trunks to locate water, rhinos create trails through their routine movements, and hippos maintain short grass near rivers with their grazing. The focus then shifts to monkeys, highlighting their active and playful nature as they swing through trees, search for food, and enjoy their surroundings. Despite appearing carefree, their continuous play is portrayed as a significant and challenging task, underlining the idea that every animal contributes uniquely to their ecosystem. The narrative combines educational insights about animal behaviors with a light-hearted view of their daily activities, making it suitable for young readers learning about wildlife.

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In the wild, there are many different animals:

Big and small, fast and slow.

But every animal has a part to play.

Elephants have long noses called trunks that sniff out water. They can find a drink even when it’s hard to see.

And when they do, they trumpet to their friends:
Toot! Toot!

Rhinos like routine.
They follow the same paths again, and again, and make wide trails as they crash
through the bush.

Hippos love to eat sweet, green grass, and lots of it.
Munch! Munch! Munch!

They keep the grass next to the river short, so the water is easier to reach.

But what about monkeys?

Oh, monkeys have an especially important job.

From sunrise to sunset, they’re on the go climbing, tumbling, and searching for food.

Monkeys dangle by their feet from trees, looking at the world upside-down.

They swing from branch to branch in groups of two, three and four at a time.
What fun!

Mama monkeys can do it all with a baby clinging to their belly. What do the little ones see from down there?

When they want a snack, monkeys pick a flea straight from a commie’s back.

And when they’re hot and tired, they cannonball into the water.

What’s the important job that monkeys have?

They play all day.

And that’s hard work!

Credits

Originally published by Book Dash under a Creative Commons Licensed BY 4.0. This book can be read for free on https://bookdash.org/books/monkey-business and was created by: Katie Huston (Editor), Magriet Kruger (Writer), Brice Reignier (Illustrator), Wilna Combrinck (Designer) Book Dash logo