A Monkey Named Punch - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF, plus Giveaway

2 hours ago
4 min read

This is such a gorgeously illustrated, tender, true story of the resilience and bravery of a baby macaque monkey initially raised by keepers and the best stuffed orangutan 'mama' ever in celebration of his first birthday!

Book cover - on a flat space of a rock tower, a baby macaque monkey sits upon, and hugs, a larger stuffed monkey.

A Monkey Named Punch

Author: Betsy Groban

Illustrator: Joanie Stone

Publisher: Golden Books (September 1, 2026)

Ages: 2-5

Themes:

Monkey, zoos, family, friendships, comfort, and bravery.

Synopsis:

Punch, the adorable baby monkey whose heartfelt story and favorite stuffed toy have made him famous around the world, stars in this illustrated Little Golden Book!

Hang in there, Punch! When a baby Japanese macaque wasn't being cared for by his mother, the zookeepers at Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo stepped in. They gave little Punch lots of love and a big stuffed orangutan toy to hug. Soon, people around the world were sharing photos and videos of Punch and cheering as he grew bigger and stronger every day. This charming Little Golden Book with colorful illustrations introduces young readers to Punch’s story and the fascinating world of Japanese macaques.

Featuring the iconic gold spine design, Little Golden Books bring together the classics of yesterday, today, and tomorrow—from the biggest names in pop culture to new original stories that are sure to spark imagination and delight in the act of reading.

Opening Lines:

Not long ago, a monkey was born in the Ichikawa City

Zoo near Tokyo in Japan. He was very cute and very

tiny. He weighed just 1.1 pounds. That’s less than a loaf

of bread! The zookeepers named him Punch.

What I LOVED about this book:

This opening perfectly captures your interest and your heart. Just look at that face! How can you not fall in love with that sweet baby monkey? I love the soft, rounded texture of the zoo habitats and the laurel wreath around Puch's face; it creates such a tender scene which ties in beautifully with the "tale-like," conversational narration.

Internal spread - on the left, a pictural map with spot illustrations of otters, organgutan, red panda, macaque monkey enclosures. A stream flows down the center with a pair of flamingos. On the right, Punch's photo surrounded by laurel leaves floats above the entry gate a red bus.

Text © Betsy Groban, 2026. Image © Joanie Stone, 2026.

I love the momentary pause which Betsy Groban and Joanie Stone created with their second spread. Offering readers a look at a social troop of macaque monkeys clustered around a hot spring (onsen), in the snowy mountains of Japan. Their sweet faces and interactions, defer the sadness and rejection to occur for this sweet little baby monkey.

Internal spread - a snowy mountain hillside in Japan near a hot spring (onsen), with a socializing troop of macaque monkeys.

Text © Betsy Groban, 2026. Image © Joanie Stone, 2026.

Luckily for Punch, when his mother wasn't able to care for him, the keepers stepped in feeding and snuggling him around the clock. The sadness of Punch's rejection is tempered by tender illustrations of the keepers interacting with Punch and the gentle humor of the heartfelt gift of a stuffed orangutan by the keepers to Punch, to help "him feel happy and safe." Mimicking actions he would naturally take with his mother.

Internal spread - on the left, a baby macaque monkey snuggles on the chest of a large stuffed orangutan, within a whicker backet. On the right, in an oval spot illustration, an orangutan sits in a tree.

Punch's stuffed friend helped give him the security and bravery he needed to grow bigger and stronger. When Punch was eventually introduced to the rest of his troop of over fifty macaque monkeys at the Ichikawa City Zoo's Monkey Mountain, the melancholy and yet very touching illustration helps highlight how of his stuffed friend provided the 'safety blanket' he needed until he was ready to interact with the other monkeys. Joanie Stone's illustrations are so expressive. She's beautifully captured the curiosity of the group as they regard Punch and his pal, and the longing and weariness of Punch as he peeks at the others.

Though still emotionally attached to the keepers, "He ran over to greet them. He jumped up on their shoulders. He hung on to their legs," Punch learned the rules and the 'pecking order' of the group and ultimately gained acceptance for himself and his stuffed pal. There is a powerfully climactic, tender moment for Punch before Betsy Groban explores the effect Punch's resilience and bravery had on the world. The ending is touching and celebratory. It's a perfect picture book releasing as a celebration of Punch's first birthday.

Resources:

some of these 15 monkey crafts or 25 monkey crafts.
do you have a special stuffed friend or something that helps you feel brave?
pair this with A Hug for Punch by Caroline L. Perry, illustrated by Anoosha Syed (How did the books show different parts of Punch's story? What is the same?), Saving Fiona: The Story of the World's Most Famous Baby Hippo by Thane Maynard, and The Elephant's New Shoe by Laurel Neme, illustrated by Ariel Landy.

🎈🎉 GIVEWAY for A Monkey Named Punch 🎉🎈

Betsy Groban is offering TWO lucky readers a book!

- Simply comment below or on Tuesday's interview post (or both) to be entered in the random drawing on September 11th.

- Be sure to say where (if) you shared the post (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Bluesky), and I'll add additional entries for you.

- Sorry US residents only.

If you missed my interview with Betsy Groban and Joanie Stone on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.