The Monkey Who Saved the Zoo: Chaos of the Grumpy Pirate Penguin
#3 of 10 in The Animal Who... Series
on Goodreads (462)
What’s inside...
Meet Chip, the lovable monkey who keeps the zoo safe from any animals who try to escape at night. With his quick thinking and reflexes, Chip is always on the lookout for trouble and is ready to act at a moment's notice. Whether he's chasing down escaped tigers or calming down disgruntled elephants, Chip is the hero the zoo needs to maintain order and prevent chaos. Find out how this monkey stops the Grumpy Pirate Penguin! The creative illustrations in this book help foster your child's imagination to make this a perfect bedtime story or a fun classroom read along.
Discussion points
What do you think made the pirate penguin grumpy and how do you think the monkey felt about it?
How did the other animals in the zoo help solve the problem? Can you think of a time when you helped someone?
What would you have done if you were in the monkey’s place?
Why do you think teamwork was important in the story?
How do you think the zoo changed after the problem was solved?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to relate their personal experiences with the theme of friendship and teamwork depicted in the book.
Ask your child to describe the characters vividly. Discuss their traits and what makes them likeable or unlikeable.
Mimic the voices of different characters to make the reading more dynamic and entertaining.
After finishing the book, engage in a creative activity like drawing their favorite scene or character from the story.
Prompt your child to imagine an alternative ending to the story and discuss how it would change the moral or message of the book.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Teamwork and Cooperation
Explanation: In the story, the zoo animals must work together to counter the mischiefs of the Grumpy Pirate Penguin. Despite their differences, they collaborate and use everyone's strengths to solve problems.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of working together with others to achieve common goals, which is applicable in school projects, sports teams, and family activities.
Example Lesson: Problem Solving
Explanation: The protagonist, the Monkey, takes the lead in devising plans to save the zoo. He demonstrates critical thinking and resourcefulness throughout the story.
Real-World Application: Encourages children to think creatively and develop solutions to obstacles they encounter in their daily life, such as resolving conflicts with siblings or figuring out a difficult homework problem.
Example Lesson: Resilience in the Face of Challenges
Explanation: The Monkey and his friends encounter numerous setbacks caused by the Grumpy Pirate Penguin, but they persist and do not give up until peace is restored at the zoo.
Real-World Application: Teaches children the value of perseverance and continuing to strive towards their goals, despite difficulties or failures they may face.
Example Lesson: Empathy and Understanding
Explanation: The climax reveals that the Grumpy Pirate Penguin's behavior was due to feeling lonely and outcast. The zoo animals learn to understand his feelings and invite him to join their group.
Real-World Application: Helps children see the importance of looking beyond someone's behavior to understand their emotions and perspectives, fostering empathy and social skills.