Review: Junie B Jones and a Little Monkey Business - Adapted by Colleen AF Venable and Ilustrated by Honie Bean

Review: Junie B Jones and a Little Monkey Business - Adapted by Colleen AF Venable and Ilustrated by Homie Bean - September 2025

Right, so here's the thing about Junie B. Jones , she tells it exactly like it is, and bless her cotton socks for that. When Barbara Park plonked a baby brother situation into Junie B.'s world in Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, she gave us one of those deliciously chaotic stories that perfectly captures how kids actually feel about new siblings. Now, this graphic novel adaptation brings all that mayhem to life with pictures that are just as wonderfully chaotic as Junie B. herself.

Our girl Junie B. is decidedly NOT thrilled about this impending arrival. Babies, she informs us with absolute authority, smell like "P.U." She knows this because she smelled one once, and that's scientific evidence enough for her, thank you very much. I mean, can we blame her? She's quite content with her life as it is—Room Nine at kindergarten, her bestest friends Lucille and that Grace, and no smelly competition for Mum and Dad's attention.

But then Grandma Miller drops this absolute corker of a misunderstanding into the mix, calling the new baby "the cutest little monkey." Well! That changes everything, doesn't it? Suddenly Junie B. is convinced she's getting an actual monkey for a brother, and honestly, wouldn't that be brilliant? The illustrations here are an absolute treat watching Junie B.'s expressions transform from disgust to wild-eyed excitement is comedy gold. Her imagination runs absolutely riot across these pages.

Suddenly she's telling everyone about her exotic new sibling. Lucille and Grace are so desperate for a peek at this supposed monkey that they're literally giving Junie B. all their worldly possessions. And the pièce de résistance? Junie B. reckons she can take him to school for Pet Day. The graphic novel format makes these moments even funnier you can see the mounting chaos in every panel.

Reluctant readers who might have struggled with the original chapter books will absolutely devour this version as this is perfect for ages 5-10 years old.

For kids aged five to ten, this graphic novel does something rather lovely it validates those messy feelings about family changes while wrapping them in enough humour and bright, engaging artwork to make the medicine go down. By the end, Junie B. might not have her monkey, but she's sorted out her feelings about the real baby in a way that feels earned rather than forced.

This adaptation proves you can teach an old Junie B. new tricks , she's chaotic, she's honest, and in graphic novel form, she's absolutely unforgettable.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4r2ShSz