Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny take on sleepovers has insight, great illustrations.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In GRUMPY MONKEY: UP ALL NIGHT, Jim Panzee and his gorilla friend Norman are going to a sleepover at his parents' tree, and Jim has big plans to stay up until dawn even though his mom jokingly warns him that he'll be grumpy. He has big expectations and a long list of activities he wants to do, but one by one everyone else falls asleep. He tries to stay up with his brother Tim, who hears strange sounds in the dark.
Is It Any Good?
With eye-catching, funny illustrations on each page and an enthusiastic approach to sleepovers kids can embrace, this picture book also provides space for deeper conversations. Family dynamics and Jim's own expectations give Grumpy Monkey: Up All Night depth that opens the door to conversations about bedtime fears, and the fun concept idea of a sleepover versus the sometimes difficult feelings about going to sleep in a different place. The simple sentences and crisp language keep the story moving, and Jim's expressions are both fun to see on the page and delightful to recreate while reading aloud.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Jim feels frustrated in Grumpy Monkey: Up All Night. How do you react when you have a plan in your head that doesn't happen?
What do you do when you hear noises as you're trying to go to sleep at night?
What do you think of sleepovers?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Max Lang
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : September 29, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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