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Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business (Reading Rainbow Books) Kindle Edition

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,025 ratings

Caps for Sale is a timeless classic beloved by millions...one of the most popular picture books ever published! This picture book is an excellent choice to share at home or in the classroom, as children love chanting along with the naughty monkeys.

Children will delight in following the peddler’s efforts to outwit the monkeys and will ask to read it again and again. Caps for Sale is an excellent easy-to-read book that includes repetition, patterns, and colors, perfect for early readers.

This tale of a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity and also teaches children about problem and resolution.

This classic picture book will be appreciated as a birthday, baby shower, or graduation gift! It never fails to get preschoolers chanting along and giggling.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Subtitled A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business, this absurd and very simple story has become a classic, selling hundreds of thousands of copies since its first publication in 1940. A peddler walks around selling caps from a tall, tottering pile on his head. Unable to sell a single cap one morning, he walks out into the countryside, sits down under a tree, checks that all the caps are in place, and falls asleep. When he wakes up, the caps are gone--and the tree is full of cap-wearing monkeys. His attempts to get the caps back generate the kind of repetitive rhythm that 3- and 4-year-olds will adore. (Preschool and older) --Richard Farr

Review

"From an old folk tale [the author] has fashioned this bright picture book, infusing it with a humor which seems to have sprung from her own hearty enjoyment of the troubles of a peddler with a abnd of monkeys."" --The New York Times

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00ADQIFD0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Reissue edition (March 22, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 22, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7162 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,025 ratings

About the author

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Esphyr Slobodkina
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Esphyr Slobodkina (the name is pronounced ess-FEER sloh-BOD-kee-nah) was born in the Siberian town of Chelyabinsk on Sept. 22, 1908. Esphyr immigrated to the United States on a student visa at the age of 29. She enrolled at the National Academy of Design, NYC, and in the 1930s, she worked painting lamp shades and soon after murals for the WPA. Esphyr was a founding member of the American Abstract Artists, which began amid controversy in 1936. In 1937 Slobodkina met the children's author Margaret Wise Brown. In an effort to find work as an illustrator, Slobodkina wrote and illustrated a story with collage called Mary And The Poodies to present to Brown. This began a new career for Slobodkina, who illustrated many children's stories for Ms. Brown (including Sleepy ABCs and the Big and Little series) while still continuing her work as an abstract artist. In her autobiography, (portions available through this web-site) Ms. Slobodkina wrote, "When Margaret died, I was left without a writer, and since she always insisted that she liked the way I told my stories, I took a deep breath and began to send them to my agent." Ms. Slobodkina took her responsibility as a children's book author seriously. In her memoir she wrote: "The verbal patterns and the patterns of behavior we present to children in these lighthearted confections are likely to influence them for the rest of their lives. These aesthetic impressions, just like the moral teachings of early childhood, remain indelible." Caps for Sale was first published in 1938. Since then it has sold more than two million copies. Today it is considered a children's book classic as generation after generation pass the story along to new readers. In sales it ranks with such classics as Good Night Moon, according to Publisher's Weekly. Caps for Sale, won a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958 and is memorialized in a painting by Ms. Slobodkina on permanent exhibition in the West Hartford Library, CT. Ms. Slobodkina wrote and illustrated numerous other books, including Mary and The Poodies (1937), The Wonderful Feast, (1955), The Clock (1956), The Long Island Ducklings (1961), and Pezzo the Peddler and the Circus Elephant, which was first published in 1967 and was reissued in 2002 as Circus Caps for Sale, to name a few. At the age of 88, Esphyr's primary focus became overseeing the production of musical storybook cassettes of all twenty of her children's books. At age 90, Esphyr designed a mini museum in Glen Head, Long Island, NY (through her Slobodkina Foundation) as a place where guests can visit and view more than 200 works of art, her handmade dolls and jewelry, as well as her complete collection of children's storybooks, including some original illustrations. Famed artist and author Esphyr Slobodkina was a leader of the abstract movement in the United States from the 1930s until her death at age 93 in July 2002. Slobodkina's works have received high acclaim. Her paintings, sculptures and literary works are part of the collections of The Metropolitan Museum, NY; The National Gallery in Washington, D.C; The Smithsonian; The Hecksher Museum, L.I., NY (where she has a permanent wing); The Whitney Museum, NY; The Wadsworth Museum, Hartford, CT; The Northeast Children's Literature Collection, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; and more. Find out more about Esphyr Slobodkina and Caps for Sale at www.capsforsale.org/.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
5,025 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story delightful and fun with retelling elements. They appreciate the beautiful, charming illustrations that keep children engaged. The book is simple for toddlers to learn and memorize, with plenty of opportunities for interaction. Many consider it a wonderful classic gift for children, parents, or grandparents. Children enjoy watching the clever monkeys and their defiance. The colors are muted and help review colors, patterns, and sight words.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

234 customers mention "Story quality"227 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it delightful, funny, and engaging with some retelling elements. The book is described as a classic children's tale that gets readers involved. Readers appreciate the clever ending and color words used in the story.

"A very adorable story of which I remember as a child. Total classic!" Read more

"Love this book. Its a simple story with some retelling elements that make it very enjoyable to read to children." Read more

"She loved the book and story" Read more

"...It is a simple but fun story that will capture the attention of youngsters and make them want to be able to read the story for themselves...." Read more

61 customers mention "Illustrations"61 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the illustrations in the book. They find the pictures charming and cute, with bright images that keep young readers engaged. The storyline is sweet and fun, with a twist ending that makes them laugh. The illustrations are bright and captivating, keeping the story fresh after 75 years.

"This age old story is illustrated in a fun manner." Read more

"...book since I was in school (a long long time ago), great story and pictures." Read more

"...The illustrations are vintage and simple, which I really like because it's such a different style from all the newer kids books...." Read more

"There is everything to like about this children's book. Great pictures help tell the story...." Read more

41 customers mention "Ease of reading"41 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy for toddlers to learn and memorize. They appreciate the simple storyline that is age-appropriate and not too wordy. The book provides a fun, interactive experience with lots of opportunities for children to interact. It's a delightful teachable reader with a funny and easy-to-understand storyline that is good for language development. Children love the rhythm and predictability of the text, but are happily surprised.

"Classic fun read! Simple and sweet. Great for early reading. Repeating phrases and words...." Read more

"...I really will be an early learning experience!" Read more

"...past few weeks.. After reading it only a few times, she picked up on the repetitive text and now she loves to "read" along with me...." Read more

"My three year old granddaughter loves this book. It is easy to read, and easy for her to understand." Read more

24 customers mention "Gift value"24 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's gift value. They find it a classic gift for children, parents, or grandparents. It is a traditional gift at showers and a great addition to a child's collection. Some say it's a must-have for their child's library and a staple in their library.

"...It is always a great gift and the price makes it ideal. Enjoy!" Read more

"...A GREAT addition to any children's book collection!" Read more

"Great to pass down to grandchildren" Read more

"...No home library should be without it. This book also makes a great gift for any child over the age of three and is not hard to read for young..." Read more

22 customers mention "Humor"22 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find the monkeys amusing and enjoy their defiance. The children love watching and imitating the monkeys' actions. Readers appreciate the humorous peddler trying to reason with the monkeys.

"...And it has a happy, NON-VIOLENT ending...." Read more

"...My daughter is 2, almost 3, and she also LOVES this story. She finds the monkeys funny - especially how I imitate their actions." Read more

"Kids absolutely love this book and the monkeys and their antics make them laugh out loud. This is a must have book for 3-4 year olds." Read more

"...He loved it and especially enjoyed the defiance of the clever monkeys...." Read more

18 customers mention "Color accuracy"13 positive5 negative

Customers like the book's color accuracy. They say it helps review colors, teach kids color words, and sight words. The muted colors are great for helping children learn about patterns and colors.

"...I couldn’t find my old one so bought a new one. Teaching my kindergartners their colors, color words, and sight words from this story and using a..." Read more

"I find it amusing, colors, numbers, educational and fun." Read more

"...The colors are beautifully muted and I don't know a child who doesn't like this story. I bought a copy for my granddaughter and she loves it, too!!!!..." Read more

"...However, the colorization is completely off...." Read more

16 customers mention "Age range"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suitable for children of all ages. They say it's perfect for toddlers and up, with sounds that babies can mimic. The book is easy to read and takes them back to childhood.

"Easy, quick read. Takes me back to the simplicity of being a child. I highly recommend this for a trip back in time." Read more

"...It teaches children about imitation. It also got the peddler back his caps. It is a fun, easy read." Read more

"...The story of the peddler and the monkeys is perfect for any pre-schooler." Read more

"...It’s a delight for toddlers and any age, really!" Read more

12 customers mention "Value for money"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's value for money. They say it has a good price, is fun and funny, and has a life value.

"...Sure, the price is pretty low, but I expected a glossy cover or at the very least higher quality pages...." Read more

"...It is always a great gift and the price makes it ideal. Enjoy!" Read more

"...Good price. Good find. No complaints. I’d buy it again!" Read more

"...Seller's representaion of the item was accurate, price was competitively fair and shipping was timely. I'd shop with this seller agai" Read more

My son loved the book and CD, but…….
5 out of 5 stars
My son loved the book and CD, but…….
My son loves listening to the cd and following along in the book. My only issue with this product is that the cd had been splattered with a sticky substance that needed to be cleaned off. One cleaned the cd worked wonderfully.
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  • Ac
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Book
    Reviewed in Canada on November 16, 2024
    Been reading this since I was younger,
  • NEEL KAMAL JAISWAL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the money
    Reviewed in India on August 17, 2020
    Brilliant
  • Kylie Smith
    5.0 out of 5 stars A favourite
    Reviewed in Australia on August 24, 2024
    One of our family favourites
  • aetl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2017
    This story is from my childhood (I am now 60) and I loved it. I read this to my 3 daughters as they were growing up and they loved it. They are grown now but remember it well. I decided to replace it in the hope that my grandchildren to be will love it too.
  • María F.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Una historia divertida
    Reviewed in Spain on January 30, 2015
    De esas historias que te piden que les cuentes una y otra vez, hasta el punto de que llegas a arrepentirte de haber comprado el libro...

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