Grumpy Monkey: Spring Fever by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang

Grumpy Monkey: Spring Fever by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang. Random House Studio, 2024. 9780593652336






Rating:  1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 3



Format : Hardcover picture book



What did you like about the book? When Jim Panzee wakes up feeling unusually silly one morning, his gorilla neighbor Norman suggests he might have spring fever.  Jim sets out to find a cure, but Water Buffalo, Oxpecker, and the other animals tell him he just needs to find a way to calm down, and they have a lot of suggestions. Soon enough, Jim is wrapped in blankets with cucumbers on his eyes, but he realizes that he still has a lot of energy.  Norman reappears and suggests he try to “just enjoy your spring fever and do spring things.”  Once again, his friends have a lot of suggestions, and Jim tries them all, from petting baby animals to playing ball to painting and hiding eggs, and the other animals realize spring fever is kind of contagious, and lots of fun!



As with every Grumpy Monkey book, readers will find a lot of humor in the antics of Jim Panzee as he tries to navigate his feelings with the help of his jungle animal pals.  Kids will certainly relate to Jim’s frustration when he is told to just calm down, and will enjoy coming up with a list of “spring things” of their own that Jim could try.  Vibrantly colored illustrations are chock-full of entertaining detail and comical depictions of the characters, and the Langs have included an Easter egg hunt throughout the book. 



Anything you did not like about the book?  Spring fever might be an unfamiliar concept for the target audience, and it’s actually never really explained.



To whom would you recommend this book? Kids in PreK-1st grade who have enjoyed previous series entries.



Who should buy this book? Preschools, public and elementary school libraries



Where would you shelve it?  Picture books



Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles?  No



Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City:  Leigh Russell King, Lincoln Street School, Northborough, Massachusetts.



Date of review: January 19, 2024