Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business (Reading Rainbow Books) (original 1940; edition 2011)

by Esphyr Slobodkina (Author), Esphyr Slobodkina (Illustrator)

Series: Caps for Sale (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations / Mentions
10,611	176	722	(4.11)	1 / 41
A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

▾Book information

Member:	kate_r_s
Title:	Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business (Reading Rainbow Books)
Authors:	Esphyr Slobodkina (Author)
Other authors:	Esphyr Slobodkina (Illustrator)
Info:	HarperCollins (2011), Edition: Reissue, 48 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
Tags:	None

Work Information

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina (1940)

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31
The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss (bookel)
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Fifty Red Night-caps by Inga Moore (bookel)

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▾Conversations (About links)

	Group › Topic	Messages	Last Message
	Name that Book: Children's book about man with many hats	10 unread / 10	bookel, August 2011

» See also 41 mentions

▾Member reviews

English (175) Spanish (1) All languages (176)

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Showing 1-5 of 175 (next | show all)

This book is engaging for young readers, offering repetition and humor. It also raises questions about frustration and patience when things don't go our way. (

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IsisJai | Sep 30, 2024 |

One of my favorite books to read with my son when he was 5-6. (

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jessoftheBooks | Aug 23, 2022 |

An old favorite. My children liked trying to balance things on their heads and pretending to be monkeys and stealing things from my head! (

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suzannekmoses | May 21, 2022 |

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.

ohayden | Apr 5, 2022 |

The story is based off a folklore of a cap seller selling various caps. Later he rests on a tree where monkeys take his caps. I wouldn’t have this in my classroom since I can’t decipher the greater meaning. (

)

Blaise_G | Feb 10, 2022 |

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Showing 1-5 of 175 (next | show all)

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▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Caps for Sale (1)

Belongs to Publisher Series

Reading Rainbow

Is contained in

HarperCollins Treasury of Picture Book Classics: A Child's First Collection by Tegen Katherine

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Indies Choice Book Awards (Picture Book Hall of Fame – 2013)

Notable Lists

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009.0202, 2009, Ages 5↑)

The Kindergarten Canon: The 100 Best Children’s Books

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1940

People/Characters

the peddler

monkeys

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

To Rosalind and Emmy Jean,
and to their grandfather
who loved to read to them

First words

Once there was a peddler who sold caps.

Quotations

But the monkeys only shook their finders back at him and said, Tsz, tsz, tsz.

So the peddler picked up his caps and put them back on this head-- first his own checked cap, then the gray caps, then the brown caps, then the blue caps, and then the red caps on the very top.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Caps for Sale

▾Book descriptions

A band of mischievous monkeys steals every one of a peddler's caps while he takes a nap under a tree.

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business is a concise story about a peddler who sells caps. Interestingly, he wears all the caps on his head. Tired from traveling, the peddler decides to take a nap. When he wakes up, he finds that all his caps are missing-- only to discover that monkeys are wearing them! This is a hilarious book that young children will enjoy.

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