Don’t be Grumpy, Monkey! is a sweet little book by Snezana Danilovic and Sandy Thornton that I’m lucky enough to review as part of an LBT blog tour.
Monkey is having a bad day. He couldn’t find his teddy, the swings were busy, and now Dog is in his place in yoga class. Monkey does not want to do yoga, and he does not want to work with Dog. Monkey is grumpy!… But then, something magical happens. Happy Panda suggests a special song, Sa Ta Na Ma. The gentle singing and chanting shifts Monkey’s grumpy mood making him feel calmer and more centred. Yoga is the best but making up with friends is even better!
An entertaining and humorous story about yoga, friendship and mindfulness.
‘Don’t Be Grumpy, Monkey!’ is the second book in the series and features Sa Ta Na Ma meditation and chanting.
Children can join in singing and chanting the Sa Ta Na Ma meditation at home (just scan the QR code in the book).
Don’t Be Grumpy Monkey by Snezana Danilovic and Sandy Thornton
The narrative is simple and satisfying – Monkey arrives late for Yoga class and, rather than joining in, proceeds to disrupt the session for the other animals. Happy Panda – the class instructor – is patient and kind, and teaches Monkey a calming chant which helps his mood. The other animals are forgiving when Monkey approaches them apologetically.
I really liked the acceptance and resolution of conflict in this book. No one tried to change Monkey, or chastise him for his choices. He was given space to be grumpy, but also made very welcome within the group when he decided to stop taking his frustrations out on his peers. I can imagine that this would be a wonderful book to keep in any early-years setting, or amongst siblings.
The illustrations are absolutely adorable and the colours are vibrant and fun. The artwork actually puts me in mind of Curious George – there’s an almost delicate quality to the work which makes it seem very approachable. I especially liked the drawings of the different yoga poses in combination with the narrative.
For those interested, I’ve added the author/illustrator information below:
Snezana Danilovic – author
Snezana Danilovic is a children’s author and an experienced children’s and teen’s yoga teacher. Her mission is to bring yoga to children through her passion for storytelling. Snezana specialises in teaching yoga in nurseries, primary schools, and secondary schools. She is a founder of Happy Panda Children’s Yoga which, over the past three years, has successfully brought yoga to many schools in and around Windsor and shared the power and joy of yoga with hundreds of children, teachers and families.
She has spent the last 30 years writing and working in theatre and children’s TV, creating an array of characters for pre-school and early years. When she is not writing books and teaching yoga, she entertains children with and balloon modelling and balloon art! She is in fact is one of the most loved balloon modelling entertainers in London!
Snezana lives in Royal Windsor with her husband, two children and a hamster. She loves hugging trees, and her house is full of balloons and musical instruments!
She is also a fabulous gardener, her front garden winning a first prize in Windsor for “Gardens in Bloom 2023!”
Author’s Website: www.snezanadanilovic.co.uk
Sandy Thornton – illustrator
Sandy Thornton is a picture book maker with over 20 years’ experience in early years, creative play, running her own children’s art and craft classes, and providing creative ideas and content for children’s TV, including Cbeebies’ Mr Maker.
Whilst working as a nanny for many years, Sandy came to realise the power of art and imagination. Allowing the children in her care the safe space for unabashed creativity, she found herself further inspired to create her own stories, exploring scenarios and narratives through the playful use of art materials. This provided the opportunity to follow her passion for sketching, creating dynamic, colourful characters, using a combination of traditional and digital art.
From an early age, Sandy snipped, sketched, glued, and stapled her own little books and magazines, influenced at the time by Herge’s Tintin and Jansson’s Moomins. Sandy lives in North London, with her family, their dog Winston and cat Finnie.
Illustrator’s Website: www.sandythornton.co.uk
Happy Panda Children’s Yoga is a mindfulness resource for children 3–11 years old, providing yoga, picture books, yoga music, and creativity (arts and crafts), nourishing children’s imaginations and empowering their wellbeing.
We are best known for our book series, which includes ‘Yaks Can Do Yoga!’ and now ‘Don’t Be Grumpy, Monkey!’
We are proud to support and work closely with local school sports partnerships and networks delivering our wellbeing programs to local schools.
Website : www.happypandachildrensyoga.com
THE INQUISITIVE NEWT 