3. If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone. Gideon Sterer. Illustrated by Emily Hughes. 2025. 48 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, imagination, picture books]
First sentence: If you make a call on a banana phone, somewhere deep in the jungle...a gorilla will probably answer. And if they do, they will have some questions, Like, Who are you? and Why are you calling? If you'd like, you can tell the gorilla your name. If you are calling just because, that's okay. But it is good to be interesting and share some things, like your favorite color or sandwich or joke. If you make a gorilla laugh on a banana phone, they will probably like that very much--there aren't many jokes in the jungle, and they might wonder more about you.
Premise/plot: This book imagines what MIGHT happen if you should make a call on a banana phone (and who hasn't made a call on a banana phone?!?!) It is written in second person.
My thoughts: I love, love, love this one. I do. I love it because it celebrates imaginative play. I love it because it celebrates the wonders and joys of imagination. I love that it is extended imaginative play. It keeps asking what might happen next....and next....and next....and next. I love how so much of the story is told THROUGH pictures.
I think this one would be great for sharing with young readers. Parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians. I do think teachers could do extension activities with this one. Young readers could become young writers and write imaginative stories of their own. They can write their own adventures if they call on a banana phone.
© 2026 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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