Caps for Sale

Caps for Sale was my favorite book as a toddler, and when I was pregnant with Anika I scooped up a board book copy from the bookstore. She and I used to read it all the time, but last night was the first time that Reni requested I read it at bed time.

The story is about a street peddler who sells caps and wears them on top of his head. One day, he rests under a tree and wakes up to find all of his hats save one have been stolen by monkeys, who tsk-tsk him from the tree branches until he gets so mad he throws his hat to the ground, prompting the copycat monkeys to do the same. He then collects his hats and goes on his merry way.

When we got to the page where the man is stacking the caps back onto his head, Reni points to the tree and asks, "where did the monkeys go?" He turned the page and looked through the book and then looked back up at me and said, perplexed, "they're gone!"

He was right. The illustrations make it look as if all of the monkeys - about a dozen of them - suddenly dissipate into thin air. One moment they are in the tree; the next, they are gone.

I have read this story hundreds of times, but last night was the first time I realized this error. How did we miss that for the past 36 years?!

Nice work, Reni. Can't fool this kid.