What Is Inside THIS Box? (Monkey Cake, #1) by Drew Daywalt

What Is Inside THIS Box? (Monkey Cake, #1) Reviews

• 
  orangerful

  When I checked the New Books cart this afternoon, I was not expecting to find an easy reader book about a monkey explaining to a piece of cake that a cat may or may not be inside of a box.
  
  Best introduction to the idea of Schrodenger's Cat for first graders.
• 
  DaNae

  Schrödinger's cat thought experiment in an easy reader. A lot for a monkey and cake slice to take in.
• 
  Jon Nakapalau

  Reminded me of Schrödinger's cat - but kids will love it!
• 
  Kris

  It's Schrodinger's cat for the preschool set. What's not to like?!
• 
  Sarah Obsesses over Books & Cookies

  love this! cuz really, the dinosaur and the cat are in the box, right? not in the box, right?
• 
  Amy

  Reviewed for School Library Journal in the March 2019 issue.
  
  K-Gr 2—This new series stars an impish little monkey and a personified slice of cake with a cherry on top of his head. Monkey and Cake are good friends. When Cake discovers Monkey sitting on top of a box, he asks what is inside. Monkey responds that a cat is in the box, but upon further questioning admits that the cat exists only when the box is closed. To up the ante, he also states that if Cake opens the box, the cat will disappear because the cat is MAGIC. Cake, as one would expect, is incredulous. They go back and forth and appear to be heading to a stalemate when Monkey advises Cake that he can think anything he wants about what is inside the box when it is closed. This invitation to imagination is priceless, and Cake soon declares that a dinosaur is inside. The whole Socratic debate begins anew with the two friends finally coming to an agreement that they will never know what is actually inside the box. Once they exit the scene, readers see a cat peeking out, and wouldn't you know it, when we turn the page, she is accompanied by a dinosaur. Daywalt (The Day the Crayons Quit) and Tallec (This Book Will Not Be Fun) have crafted a delightful, philosophical romp that will please and intrigue beginning readers. The end of the book contains several questions for children to ponder, which will prompt discussion and imaginative play. A nod to Schrödinger's cat is included for all quantum mechanics fans. VERDICT: Funny and thought-provoking. A definite purchase for beginning reader collections.
• 
  Laura

  This one made me laugh out loud at the end. Monkey and Cake...the new Elephant and Piggie. Kids will be delighted!
• 
  Becky

  First sentence: Hello, Monkey. Hello, Cake. What do you have? I have a box. It is a big box.
  
  Premise/plot: Monkey believes that inside this box there is a magic cat. Open the box, the cat is not there. Close the box, it is. Cake, however, believes that inside the box there is a magic dinosaur. Who is right? And does it matter?
  
  My thoughts: This early reader is unique and quirky--at least on the surface. At first glance, this one is over-the-top silly. But I don't think it's meant to be taken solely that way. I think it is supposed to get readers thinking deeper. If that isn't the case, why would there be a note to readers asking them questions like...
  
  Do you believe in things you can't see?
  Do people you know believe in things you don't believe in?
  What do you believe in?
  
  So this book addresses an abstract subject in a silly, light-hearted way. How much sillier can you get than a talking piece of cake?
  
  I do not want to over think this book. I do not want to over think this book. I do not want to over think this book. I'm tempted to though. Let's just leave it as if taken too seriously--taken too far, this one is a theological mess.
• 
  Christiana

  Reminiscent in Elephant and Piggie in the best way possible. Coming with me on school visits as a read aloud for sure.
• 
  Kathy

  Very Schroedinger's cat: it's only there when the box is closed. Of course, it could also lead to a discussion about imagination, and what is true or not. My sample kid thought it was pretty funny, but didn't quite get the deeper concepts. But that's ok: it can be read multiple times at different ages and they'll get different things out of it. It also has echoes from Mo Willems in the simple art, and 2 very different characters (monkey and cake in this case) who are friends.
• 
  Kari

  Absolutely hilarious deep thinker for kids.
• 
  Heather Utley

  Similar style to Elephant and Piggie, but more didactic. Very very fun.
• 
  Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023)

  If a tree falls in the forest. Philosophy for kids. Squirt read this to me and we laughed and laughed. What IS in the box?!!
• 
  Jaymie

  4.5 stars. Clever!
• 
  pati

  A thought experiment for the very young!
• 
  Amanda

  Part of me is channeling "UHF" from the moment I saw the cover ("You took the box! Let's see what's in the box!" [Hiro-san opens the box, and the audience gasps: the box is completely empty!] "Nothing! Absolutely nothing! STUPID! You so STU-PIIIIIIIIIIID!"), which is a teensy bit inappropriate for a children's book, I will admit. Another part of me is totally cracking up at the science analogies which are happening here with the possibilities of cats, and cake, and other things.
  
  p.s. I believe the cat's name is Schrödinger. Hahahahahahaha...I can't help myself right now. Love it!
• 
  Ame

  There's like a funny almost-Schroedinger thing going on in this book. Also, a monkey and a cake are friends!? Um, that's genius. I want to be frenemies with a dessert, especially a brownie.
• 
  Munro's Kids

  A great kick-off for a new series! Quirky and fun, the simple vocabulary, silly characters, and sophisticated ideas make for a great early reading book. Bright and colourful illustrations bring everything together. ~Emilee
• 
  Syntha Green

  Funny - give this to kids sad that there are no more new Elephant & Piggie books.
• 
  Brian

  Schrödinger's cat meets 'Piggy & Elephant' is how I see this book. Still a good book....maybe a thinker for the wee ones.
• 
  df parizeau

  I actually laughed out loud at this fun, kid-friendly spin on Schrödinger's Theory.
  
  I want to see more inventive and absurd books for kids like this!
• 
  zapkode

  {My thoughts} – Monkey and Cake are a couple of fun characters. They are a couple of friends that discuss believing things without being able to see them. This is a really neat lesson for children to understand. Seeing without believing is often referenced throughout different religions as well as the magic of any holiday.
  
  The cover of this book is bright yellow and eye catching. The illustrations are simple and explain what is going on throughout the book. The text is written in word bubbles similar to what I’d call a beginners graphic novel.
  
  I recommend this book as a beginner reader. It has simple sentences structure and words for children to easily read. It doesn’t have doesn’t have many difficult words that would need to be explained. If the book is read to or with the child on a regular basis they should be able to grasp what most of the words mean by looking at the pictures. I think this is a wonderful new book series and I can’t wait to introduce it to my daughters.
• 
  AMY

  This one made me laugh out loud at the end. Very cute dialog story. Kids will enjoy the storyline of a monkey and piece of cake debating what is inside a box. Very funny and nice twist at the end. Very clever. Highly recommended for Grades K-1.
• 
  Alicia Justice

  This is a cute little story with a lot of great sight words mixed in.
• 
  Becky

  Funny primary book that will make readers laugh.
• 
  Marilyne S. Veilleux

  Une charmante introduction au chat de Schrödinger, qui va faire sourire les parents, et qui va amuser les enfants. J'ai adoré.
• 
  Tasha

  These are the first two books in the rather surreal new easy-reader series Monkey & Cake. Monkey and Cake are friends. In the first book, Monkey has a big box that he won’t let Cake open. Inside the box is a cat, but it’s a cat that disappears when the box is opened. This bothers Cake immensely, certain that the cat must be imaginary. But is it? In the second book, Cake builds a fort that he won’t let Monkey enter. Monkey though finds another wild solution to the problem, declaring that the entire world then is Monkey’s fort and turning Cake’s fort into a trap of sorts. Soon it is Cake who is begging to share forts.
  
  With the two premises being unique and fascinating questions about perspective, trust and ownership, this series is great fun but also unusually deep. Even the two characters are a delightful and rather zany mashup where pie is the snack of choice, definitely not cake! The writing is done entirely in dialogue, making the reading snappy and fast paced. There is little extraneous here, as it’s a concise look at big questions. Tallec’s art is bright and friendly. The two main characters are always center stage and interacting with one another, arguing as only friends can.
  
  A wild and interesting new easy reader series. Appropriate for ages 4-6.