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

Author: Esphyr Slobodkina

First line: Once there was a peddler who sold caps.

Why you should read this book: It's the classic tale of monkey-see, monkey-do, and it's one of the very few children's books written prior to The Cat in the Hat that continues to hold the attention of our digital age offspring. In simple, repetitive prose, we learn the story of a tired, hungry peddler wearing an improbably stack of hats on his head, and the monkeys who love him, or at least, love to do what he does. Sixty-eight years after its original publication, this book still has kids shaking their hands, stamping their feet, and scolding like monkeys.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're recovering from a vicious monkey bite.