Grumpy Monkey: School Stinks! by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang - ADVISABLE

Grumpy Monkey: School Stinks! by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang, 82 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Random House, 2025 $11. 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Grumpy monkey, aka Jim Panzee, is playing hide-and-seek when he decides to hide in Polecat's log. He gets sprayed and becomes a stinky, grumpy monkey. His friends remind him that if he'd gone to school he would have known better, so Grumpy Monkey enrolls in school. 

The art is colorful and grand and the humor delivers. The theme of school is relatable and students may see themselves in Grumpy Monkey's experiences with it. The theme of learning from one's mistakes is a bonus in this entertaining read. 

Michelle in the Middle