Chimpanzees for Tea!

Vincent is under strict instructions to rush to the shops and hurry home in time for tea. After all, the cupboards are looking rather bare! Shopping list in hand, he sets off. But, things don't go quite as planned. A gust of wind blows the shopping list right out of Vincent's hand and off into the sky. As he desperately tries to remember the items on the lists, things start to get rather muddled. The result is a hilarious and unexpected parade of 'items'! Vincent hurries home for tea but has he remembered everything on the list? Jo Empson has done it again: a wonderfully simple story accompanied by stunningly beautiful illustrations. Each page is a feast for the eyes: colourful and filled with fun detail. I especially love the little bird that follows Vincent the whole way home, with the shopping list in its beak! This is a book to share over and over again. You will notice something different with every read and you will soon have even the youngest readers joining on with the shopping list. The rhyme and word play between the original list and the new assortment of items makes this a story that will be easily committed to memory, allowing pre-readers to 'read' along too. Such fun could be had inventing your own items for the list. Chimpanzees for Tea! is an absolute triumph and sure to become a modern classic. Picture Book / Ages 3+ /Reviewed by Torie Walton, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+