[Image]Little Chimp's Big Day[Image][Image] by Lisa Schroeder, illustrated by Lisa McCue, Sterling, 2010 (review copy from publisher)

What-if  Curious George had NOT met the Man in the Yellow Hat.

A sweet faced baby chimp explores the jungle, seemingly alone for the first time, while wondering "where could Mother be?"  "She said she would be right back". The chimp rides on a hippo's back, finds bananas to eat, swings on vines to escape a jungle cat then settles down to sleep after his busy day. Mother is there and has been all along, hidden but watching over her chimp on each page. 
The action sequences are described in groups of rhyming gerunds,
"bumping, chasing, jumping, racing" and " roaring, gripping, soaring, zipping."  Even though the story is pitched towards little guys, the book would be useful for illustrating gerunds. 
McCue excels at lovable, furry-fuzzy animals. Her chimpanzee is expressive and endearing.

Lisa Schroeder's website
Lisa McCue's website