What Is The Theme Of Five Little Monkeys Bake A Birthday Cake

Many people know the story Five Little Monkeys jumping on the bed, well it has a sequel called Five Little Monkeys bake a birthday cake. It’s meant to be cute and innocent monkeys doing something nice for their mother, but really it’s a murder plot. The monkey’s are all actually homicidal towards each other and their mother. Within the first few pages the monkeys have already set one part of their plan into motion. They try to kill their mother by making her ill. They do this by making her a cake. One step of making the cake is to sift the ingredients together, but they were told not to sneeze by a sister (4). Immediately after four of them sneeze and sister said, “Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!” (6). When baking you don’t sneeze into the food
because it can spread germs. Them sneezing into the food right after their sister's wishes shows their real intent to get their mother sick and possibly die. Their overall plan is to kill their mother, but sometimes the bossy sister needs to go. One brother tries to subtly kill his bossy sister. They have to add sugar and oil into the cake batter, but as said brother is told not to spill the oil; he spills it (10). The bossy sister slips in it and then the monkeys yell, “Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!” (11). The brother blatantly didn’t listen to his siblings and spilled the oil. His plan partially worked and his sister did fall, but she did not die foiling his plan. They thought it was an accident, so they moved on with their plot.
The next step was to burn the house down. They finished making the cake and put it in the oven. They all move to the living room to make presents and no one is watching the cake. Suddenly one of the monkeys, says, “Do you smell something burning?” (15). They then race past Mama sleeping and say “Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!” (16). They then get into the kitchen and realized the cake dripped in the oven. They take the cakes out and say “Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!” (18). Firefighters show up and ask about a fire. The monkey’s are holding the cakes and there is no Mama to be found. They left her in the house with the dripped cake still in the oven possibly causing a fire. Their plan was to catch the house on fire and call the firefighters to put it out. They conveniently forget to fetch Mama, because they were so busy with the cakes. They called the firefighters a little too early and the house never caught on fire. This was the biggest part of their plan, but the back-up in case the house didn’t burn down; is that the cake will get her sick. One big part of this whole plot is that Mama has to stay asleep. If she were to wake up, she could ruin their plan. After every “accident” they say “Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!”. At that point they go check on Mama, then say. “She’s still asleep. We can finish making the cake.” (7,12) Making the cake is code word for try to kill Mama because it’s all a cover-up. Every step
they take they try to kill Mama in some way or another. As long as Mama stays asleep, they can finish making the cake. Near the end of the book they finally wake up Mama. Yet they do not tell her about what has happened well she was asleep. The five monkeys and two firemen sing to Mama very loudly (24). Mama wakes up (25) and they find out it is not Mama’s birthday, but no mention about why the firefighters are there. The monkeys have not told their Mama because they don’t want her to be suspicious. If she has no idea what happened while she was asleep, they can plan their next plot to kill her. At the very end of the book while they’re eating cake, which Mama didn’t get sick from, they get their chance to make a new plot. Two monkeys say, “ ‘We can bake another cake tomorrow.’ Another little monkey says, ‘Sh-h-h! Don’t tell Mama!’ “ (27). With Mama unknowing they will make a cake again, they can try the plot over again. Maybe it will work next time. This book seems sweet and innocent at first, but proves much deadlier intentions. The monkeys are homicidal towards each other and Mama. They will not give up until Mama is dead. Just remember that for the next time you read it to your kid. Maybe it will give them some ideas.