Maybe... by Chris Haughton
Published by Candlewick Press on September 2, 2021
ISBN: 9781536220247
Pages: 40
Genres: Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Similar in style to Chris Haughton’s other books Oh No, George! and Shh! We Have a Plan, which are favorites at my library, with bold primary-colored illustrations that tell the story as much as the simple words do. This one is folkloric in style with the mother monkey admonishing the three young monkeys to not go down to the mango tree while she is away because there are tigers down there. Hmm … MAYBE they could just look at the mangoes? As the story progresses, they get closer and closer to the mangoes and the tigers. The book builds suspense with careful pacing and the repetition of particular words making this a perfect book for  Story Time. My one criticism is that the tigers that the children will see but the monkeys do not are too hidden. I read through the book several times before I noticed them. (I will point them out when sharing with a group as it adds to the suspense.) In contrast, they are bold and scary (not too scary!) when they are chasing the monkeys back up the tree. A surprising comical ending … MAYBE…

Book reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library