No Monkeys, No Chocolate

Written by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young · Illustrated by Nicole Wong

Discover the surprising rainforest allies behind your favorite chocolate treat.

4.1 Goodreads · 671 ratings

32 pages· 1,255 words· Est. 10 min read-aloud· AD740L

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Bookroo's summary

Uncover the hidden world of chocolate's origins in the rainforest. From pollen-sucking midges to brain-eating maggots, meet the critters essential for cocoa trees' survival. Join two witty bookworms as they reveal the fascinating interdependence of plants and animals, making this journey both educational and entertaining. What secrets lie behind your favorite sweet treat?

From the publisher

Everyone loves chocolate, right? But how many people actually know where chocolate comes from? How it’s made? Or that monkeys do their part to help this delicious sweet exist?

This delectable dessert comes from cocoa beans, which grow on cocoa trees in tropical rain forests. But those trees couldn’t survive without the help of a menagerie of rain forest critters: a pollen-sucking midge, an aphid-munching anole lizard, brain-eating coffin fly maggots—they all pitch in to help the cocoa tree survive. A secondary layer of text delves deeper into statements such as “Cocoa flowers can’t bloom without cocoa leaves . . . and maggots,” explaining the interdependence of the plants and animals in the tropical rain forests. Two wise-cracking bookworms appear on every page, adding humor and further commentary, making this book accessible to readers of different ages and reading levels.

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