This book does a wonderful job of keeping the oral traditions by saying things like, "What nonsense..... since I am so poor. Can you change that?". During the time period this book was set in, it was very common for people who were poor to work hard and often did not marry others from rich families. The illustrations in this book are amazing, as the colors caught my attention, they were very representative, and did not overpower the words. The pictures made it feel as if I was with Pedro and the monkey, going through everything with them. ( )

This Filipino folktale is a retelling of "Puss in Boots". In this story, a poor farmer is rewarded by a clever monkey when he shows him mercy after catching him stealing the farmer's corn. The monkey helps him become wealthy and also helps him win the beautiful Maria, who in the end of the story, becomes his wife. ( )

"Pedro and the Monkey" is a retelling of the classic, "Puss in Boots." I believe the theme of this book is based on kindness. When a poor farmer, Pedro, decides to be kind to the monkey, the monkey returns the favor by helping Pedro become rich and marry Maria. Pedro could have turned in the monkey when he had stolen corn from him, but because of his kind heart he didn't and the monkey returned the favor by giving Pedro advice and helping him become rich. ( )

I enjoyed the book so much because the story took place in the Philippines, and I have not been reading books about the Filipino people. The story is based on the Puss in Boots, but I like Pedro and the Monkey better. Pedro is a farmer, and he listens to the advice of a wise monkey. The monkey helps Pedro become rich and marry Maria. For an activity, I would ask the students to compare this book with Puss in Boots. I would ask students which book, they enjoyed the most. ( )

This is a version of the traditional Puss in Boots story from the Philippines. A quick-witted little monkey helps a poor man become a king. It would be a great book for character mapping, and comparison with the traditional tale in a folklore unit. ( )