Caps for Sale:

A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business

About This Book

A peddler walks from town to town, selling the caps he proudly balances in a stack on his head:

"First he had on his own checked cap, then a bunch of gray caps, then a bunch of brown caps, then a bunch of blue caps, and on the very top a bunch of red caps."

On this particular day, however, business is slow, and tired of walking without selling anything, the peddler goes to the countryside to take a nap under a tree. When he wakes up, he discovers that monkeys high up in the tree have stolen all the caps — except for his own checked one. Nothing will convince them to give them back. When the peddler points, the monkeys just point back; when he shakes his fist, they merely shake theirs. When he stamps his foot, the monkeys stamp theirs. Finally, the peddler throws his cap on the ground in despair and frustration. And what do the monkeys do? They throw their caps down, too!

This clever, original folk tale told by internationally renowned artist Esphyr Slobodkina has entertained children for generations. Full of drama, humor, and repetition and illustrated with warmth and wit, Caps for Sale begs to be read aloud — and shared again and again.

"From an old folktale Esphyr Slobodkina has fashioned this bright picture book, infusing it with humor which seems to have sprung from her own hearty enjoyment of the troubles of a peddler with a band of monkeys." — The New York Times