Kai and the Monkey King by Joe Todd-Stanton

Joe Todd-Stanton is quickly becoming the most exciting storyteller in the realms picture books.  Amazing tales such as The Secret of Black Rock and A Mouse Called Julian but for me the Brownstone’s books are an absolute must.  Arthur and the Golden Rope was the first adventure in the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection which set the tone that Kai and the Monkey King happily builds on.

A daring, yet considered mother & daughter duo carry on the family tradition in encountering the weird and wonderful.  Wen and her daughter Kai find themselves facing a unique challenge to defend a whole village from a terrifying beast.  While her mother seeks a solution the village library, Kai becomes bored.  She ends up finding an ancient scroll which tells of the legend of the Monkey King: one of the greatest ever warriors. Who better to aid them in their quest?

As much as I like Kai and Wen, for me the Monkey King steals the show.  An egomaniac who seems to be the most arrogant character ever to grace a Brownstone tale, the Monkey King is someone I desperately want to see more of.

Joe Todd-Stanton continues to sprinkle hints at further myths and secrets in inventive ways.  The sprawling family tree or throwaway examples of past adventures just show how the storyteller has so much to offer.  Needless to say, the artwork is a thing of pure joy!

Now for the teacher bit.  Dastardly, macabre, phenomena, yearned, reluctantly – this is just a taste of the wonderfully rich vocabulary often goes unnoticed when the illustrations are as eye-catching as Kai and the Monkey King.  I love the story within a story structure and this is a great model for children who are ready to explore more complex narratives.  I also adore the fact that the secret to ultimate success lies within reading.  Each and every teacher should do a mini-fist bump at being able to share such an example with their class.

Yet another cracker of an adventure from a true family of adventurers.

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