Sayre's (Trout Are Made of Trees) latest is a rhyming introduction to the howler monkeys of Central and South America. Verses appear in a jaunty typeface atop newcomer Miller's full-bleed spreads; prose paragraphs in smaller type provide additional information. The rhymes often suggests that the howlers' lives are more carefree than those of readers (“Sister claims a branch,/ yet no one says to share./ She never has to bathe./ Her suit is wash-and-wear!”). A recurring chorus reproduces the howlers' cry (“Woo-hoo-hoo! AH-UH-OH!”); the repetition doesn't add much to the story, but offers a chance to howl along. And readers will take great pleasure in the “special message” howlers send to intruders, human or otherwise: “They often urinate close to or on the invader to mark their territories.” The surfaces of Miller's mixed-media drawings are fuzzy and heavily worked, the rain forest–green palette offset by cloudy pastel skies. They're energetic, too; the howlers leap from branch to branch, scaring nearby birds and tearing leaves off trees for a snack. A solid read-aloud for young animal enthusiasts.

A whimsical introduction to a family of monkeys. Full-bleed spreads show the animals in action, accompanied by a rhyming text in a large font and related facts in a smaller type. The illustrations, done in acrylic, watercolor crayon, and colored pencil and featuring the active animals against backdrops of lush greens, show the Howlers as they fly from broad green-leafed branch to branch, calling out so loudly the males "can be heard a mile away." "Woo-hoo-hoo!/AH-UH-OH!" ties the action together as a refrain. The illustrations support the introductory information about the Howlers, their calls, behavior, diet, and habitat, providing a comfortable slice of life for early literacy presentations. A fact page and map are more complex, yet will enhance a one-on-one experience.

"Woo-hoo-hoo! Ah-uh-oh!" I'd like you to meet my family. Besides me there's my papa, mama, sister and my little brother. We are howler monkeys and live in the rainforest of Central America, although you can find us in Mexico and South America, too.

We're called howlers because we have incredibly loud calls. Actually only the adult males in the family howl, but you can hear us from a mile away when we really get into howling. Although we live peacefully, when we communicate with our howling we sometimes scare other animals, and the birds tend to fly away when they hear us.

Since it rains nearly every day in the rainforest, we keep our coats pretty clean and don't need to come down out of the trees to take a bath. Once in a while you will catch us grooming each other, picking insects, dirt and leaves out of each other's fur.

Because of the expressions on our faces, many people think we are unhappy or have an attitude, but that's not really true. We can't really help it that our lips curve down so it looks like we have a perennial frown.

Unlike a lot of other monkeys, we love to eat leaves, flowers and sometimes fruit. We are also part of an extended family and live in groups of ten to twenty other monkeys.

One thing I should warn you about, though, is we often get excited if a strange animal or human enters our territory. If you get too close, we might well decide to urinate on you or drop fruit, twigs or leaves on you.

When you read this picture book you'll see where and how my family lives, plus you'll learn much more about us. Perhaps you'll even try to mimic our call - "Woo-hoo-hoo! Ah-uh-oh!" I don't think you'll really be as good at it as we are, nor will you get the volume we can achieve, but you can try!

Named for its incredibly loud calls that can be heard up to a mile away, the howler monkey lives in the tropical forests of Mexico, Central America and parts of South America.

You'll learn all sorts of interesting facts about these leaf eating monkeys whose normal facial expressions make them appear to be mad at the world.

Although they really aren't anti-social, howlers have been know to urinate on those who get too close to them, so it is wise to keep your distance to avoid this type of rainforest "moisture"!

I have to say that every book by April Pulley Sayre is a delight and this is no exception.

"Meet the howlers!
Living life on the go.
Meet the Howlers! who-hoo-hoo!
Ah-Uh-Oh!"

(I probably would have put a couple of more exclamation marks after that last howl, just because I have heard Howler monkeys howl and the noise seems to echo everywhere.)

The double page spread continues, in smaller typeface, with facts about this howl -- only males can do it and they can be heard a mile away.

Each page uses this technique. Adults can simply read the rhythmic phrases to preschool children, treating this like a picture book story. Or adults and early readers can include the informational part before they turn the page. (Two types of books for the price of one.)

Because the monkeys spend most of their time in the treetop canopy, the illustrator has made the background for each illustration multi-shades of green, with an occasional glimpse of tree trunk or sky. Nicely done. It keeps your eyes focused on the Howler family's life.

The last pages have a map showing the monkey's range in Central America including parts of Mexico and Colombia and Ecuador. Another page has more nonfiction facts about howler monkeys.

This is what the publisher says about this book:

Meet the bad boys (and girls) of the primate world. Playful, poetic text and vibrant art introduce young readers to
howler monkeys. Extra facts within the text give readers the low-down on these loud, sloppy, and rude rain forest
dwellers.

This book is good for your brain because:
Habitats, Poetry, Emergent Reader, Life Science

And there you have it. Another fun presentation of animal life by the marvelous April Pulley Sayre.

Sayre (Honk, Honk, Goose!: Canada Geese Start a Family, 2009, etc.) delivers yet another entertaining and accessible guide to the natural world. Each spread contains rhyming text narrating the daily activities of a howler monkey family and cleverly comparing them to a young reader's experience. For example, "Sister claims a branch / yet no one stays to share. / She never has to bathe. / Her suit is wash-and-wear!" Also on each spread are a few sentences offering an explanation and supplemental information, appearing in smaller font. In this case: "Frequent rains wash a howler monkey's coat. Howlers sometimes nibble and handpick insects, dirt, and leaves out of their own and one another's fur." Monkey sounds--"Woo-hoo-hoo! Ah-uh-oh!" --anchor a catchy refrain that is sure to get storytime crowds howling. Miller's appealing multimedia illustrations, in rich greens, browns and blues, depict the howlers engaging in their various activities with plenty of personality. A brief section--"More about Howler Monkeys," with additional interesting information about howlers--concludes this appealing introduction.

Eye-catching artwork, scientific facts, and playful rhymes make a fun combination in this lively picture book that introduces young children to howler monkeys. Dramatic, double-page spreads show the monkeys climbing through their forest habitats, and the mixed-media images in acrylic paint, watercolor, crayon, and colored pencil give the animals an almost strokable texture. One scenario shows tourists rushing away from a forest encounter, and a note explains how the monkeys mark and guard their territory: "Howlers send a special message / Go, go, go!" Preschoolers will join in the repeated howler calls ("Woo-hoo-hoo! / Ah-Uh-Oh!"), as well as the bouncing rhymes: "Sister never waits / for breakfast, snack, or lunch. / She grabs a bunch of leaves / and gobbles--munch, munch, munch!" Many kids will want to hear more about the fascinating, accessible zoological notes, printed in small type on each spread and extended in a final, long section.

April Pulley Sayre's wonderful picture book about howler monkeys that will be a huge hit with children. Most children love monkeys, and Meet the Howlers! reinforces that love through an exploration of a typical howler monkey family. The roles of the father, mother and children are discussed in a fun, rollicking way that will leave children amused while increasing their knowledge. Each set of pages features a catchy rhyme about what is happening on those pages. Topics include care of the young, food, living conditions, and utility of the howling sound the animals make. For older children, another section gives scientific facts about the topic. This combination of rhyme and fact makes the book usable for a wider age range. Parents can introduce the book to a young child through the rhymes, and as the child gets older, interest in the scientific facts will increase. The illustrations by Woody Miller are absolutely enchanting. The howlers swing in the trees, sleep, rest, eat and, in several memorable illustrations, howl. The images make the howling seem like enormous fun; seeing them makes the reader want to join in and howl along.

Howler monkeys are known for their raucous manner and the way they alert the world to their presence. Sayre masterfully captures the habitats of the quintessential bad neighbors in playful poetry. This is Miller's debut with picture book illustration, and it's great!

It seems that children's fiction books heavily outweigh the supply of non-fiction. Thus, I'm always happy to discover some good factual reading material presented at a level that children can enjoy. A big thanks to April Pulley Sayre, who has written more than 55 natural history books for children and adults. With her most recent offering, we get the opportunity to learn about howler monkeys.

This book serves a dual purpose, with two distinct sections on each page. The larger font provides a bit of a fictional story about a family of howler monkeys. The smaller font is the non-fictional section that gives factual information on this group of fascinating primates. And truly, there is a wide range of information provided - funny,

The biggest piece of information, and most obvious fact, about howler monkeys is ... they howl. But did you know they can also bark, woof and grunt? The monkeys use the various calls to communicate with the other members in their group. Appropriately named, their howls can be heard a mile away. The screeching can be scary to other animals, but they are actually peaceful animals. They may look as if they are angry and scowling, but that's just the way their faces are designed.

This book was inspired by the author's observations of howler monkeys in Panama. It is obvious that she has taken an interest that is near and dear to her heart and tried to make it appealing to children. I love how she approaches this by combining fact with fiction. It's like we are getting the best of both worlds! The result is a fun story created by some interesting observations. This is the very best way to learn - a fun format paired with beautiful illustrations.

The only down side (and I'm sure you saw this coming) is the distinct possibility that your children will imitate howler monkeys around the house. Hey, learning has its price.

They are loud, impatient and selfish. They are lazy and they do not brush their teeth. If they were people, we would say that these boys and girls are pretty ill-mannered and wild. But, they are not people. They are howler monkeys, and this behavior is just what is expected of this animal.

Using fun rhyming text paired with fun facts in prose, April Pulley Sayre introduces readers to this wet, wild, and interesting rain forest animal. We learn that howlers are named for the Woo-hoo-hoo! Ah-Uh Oh! sound that they make. We learn how they keep themselves clean, how often they sleep, what they eat, how large their family groups are, and how they mark their territory. Back matter gives us even more insight into these fascinating creatures. If you’re looking for a nice read aloud for your rainforest unit, I highly recommend this book.