Monkey, Chico Bon Bon and his co-pilot Elephant Clark had blasted off into space heading to the Superstar Space Station and Snack bar as the Moon Malt machine had stopped working and Chico had been sent there to fix it with his massive tool belt that carried every tool he could ever need.

However, it wasn’t tools that Chico needed as it turned out that the Moon Malt machine wasn’t working because a fuzzy alien called Zootie was hiding inside of it. She wanted to go back to her own planet but her spaceship didn’t work anymore. I wonder, who could fix a spaceship and help his new friend?

Monkey with a Tool Belt Blasts Off! is a fun, comical book about a monkey, his friend Clark and a fuzzy lost alien. I love the amusing illustrations and the comic book style images.

The tale is a very sweet one of friends helping each other. Chico is a very clever Monkey who certainly knows how to fix things. Even if he wasn’t needed to fix the machine he went on to fix other items on the space station whilst he was there, as well as help the little lost alien Zootie.

Overall, if you have a child that likes fun, short books this will keep them entertained, or it could even work for a reluctant reader as I have known a few in my time who have enjoyed comic book style reads rather than ‘normal’ picture books.

Chris Monroe’s humor and intricate illustrations draw high praise from reviewers and bloggers alike. Chris is also the author and illustrator of Totally Uncool and the long-running comic strip Violet Days. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.