No Monkeys, No Chocolate

 

No Monkeys, No Chocolate is an informational book teaching children where the chocolate they love comes from. Most children have no idea where this delicious treat comes from besides the store. Little do they know quite a few things have to happen before a chocolate bar ends up in their hands. This book shows kids all the work that goes into planting and harvesting on cocoa farms in an educational and fun way. The book also talks about how we depend on the rainforest and shows ways we can help to keep it around.

This book teaches kids about a real life subject using facts about science and nature which put this in the nonfiction genre. The authors use this information in an easy way for kids to understand. They even have cute little bookworms on the bottom of some pages with extra facts and commentary. The illustrations have a watercolor look and they fill the pages entirely. The illustrations enhance the story by putting the text into pictures kids can relate with.

Activities:

One activity can be an arts and crafts project related to the rainforest. Students can put together a collage of different animals, plants, and foods of the rainforest. Each student can can be responsible for one section of the collage. Then you can hang the finished product in front of the class and talk about different ways each part of the rainforest is important.

Another activity can be related to chocolate. Have students describe their favorite chocolate treat in a descriptive writing exercise. Have them include as many adjectives as possible and underline them. Without giving away the answer, read aloud all of the adjectives and write them on the board. Other students will try and guess what food is being described based on the adjectives. The student with the most correct guesses wins a piece of chocolate of course!

Reader Response Questions:

Where is the rainforest?

Name 3 animals from the book that live in the rainforest.

Why is it important to help preserve the rainforest?

I personally love this book because I learned a lot from reading it! I love chocolate and never knew monkeys played a role in the process of growing it. I think this is an excellent childrens book and would be a great edition to the classroom. The book was written by Melissa Stewart and Allen M. Young and illustrated by Nicole E. Wong. Melissa has written over 150 books for children most of which have a science or nature theme. She has a degree in biology and science journalism. Allen works at the Milwaukee Public Museum and is a former member of the board of directors of the Tirimbina Rainforest in Costa Rica. He is the world’s leading expert on cocoa pollination and growth (Stewart, p. 7). 

More books from Melissa Stewart:

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

A Place for Butterflies

Under the Snow

More books from Allen M. Young:

The Chocolate Tree

Small Creatures and Ordinary Places

Tropical Rainforests 

Stewart, M. No Monkeys, No Chocolate A Teachers Guide. Retrieved from http://www.melissa-stewart.com/pdf/NoMonkeysNoChocolate_TeachersGuide.pdf