Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business. retold and illustrated by Esphyr Slobodkina. 1947. New York: W. R. Scott. 42 p. (0618375945).
Author/Illustrator Website: www.slobodkinafoundation.org
Media: paint
Awards and Honors: Reading Rainbow Book, Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Audience: 3 and Up
Annotation:
A retelling of a traditional tale in which a peddler has his wares stolen by a band of mischeivous monkeys.
Personal Reaction:
Caps for Sale was first published in 1938, yet over 80 years later the tale of the dapper cap peddler who carries his wares on his head and the mischeivous monkeys who steal the caps still remains a favorite of children and families.
Caps for Sale is one of those rare books that is plainly and modestly presented, yet perfectly elegant in its simplicity. There is not a superfluous or unnecesary word in the book, and the illustrations are spartan while still remaining expressive. It is perfectly suited to read alouds and reader's theater, as well.
For another take on the traditional tale, try Baba Wague Diakite's The Hatseller and the Monkeys, which offers gorgeously patterned painted tile illustrations and a West African spin.
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