find your
molnittKle ey
find your
molnittKle ey
Written by Dennis Z. Smith
Illustrated by Mariah Hertz
Copyright © 2018 Dennis Z. Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including
information storage and retrieval systems, without permissions
in writing from the publisher.
Written by Dennis Z. Smith
Illustrations by Mariah Hertz
Printed and bound in USA
“For my beautiful daughters Carly and Kayla
and all of the people that take time to share
their kind heart.”
&
“To Mariah Hertz:
Thank you for investing your time and energy in
transforming my imagination into reality.
It gives me great joy!”
Manolo the Capuchin Monkey lives in the
Amazon rain forest of South America. He is
happy and never alone in his tree top home
because of all the other creatures nearby.
Nothing gives him greater joy than
swinging on vines though the canopy and
feeling free. It is a life filled with beautiful
things to see and amazing adventure.
A good amount of exercise makes him tired and
hungry so he takes time to rest and enjoy his
favorite snack, mmm sweet bananas. Does someone
watching want a bite too?
Malena spends her time dreaming and
searching. She’s not exactly sure for what yet,
but her heart moves her onward every day to
find happiness.
Manolo was having an extra
special day because his mood
was bright and cheerful. He was
swinging higher and faster than
ever before and it almost felt
like flying.
“I bet the Toucans wished they
were as fast as me” he thought
as he whizzed by in a flash.
The big billed birds didn’t even
ruffle their feathers as they
watched him pass.
All of a sudden, he had a
strange feeling in his belly.
He never felt it before and
wondered why and where it
was coming from. He looked
around nervously as he
swung along.
Curiously, Malena ventured into a
part of the forest she had never seen
before. She was apprehensive, but a
little excited too. Was something about
to happen?
The feeling got the better
of Manolo and it stirred
him to stop and shout
a loud squeaky call
repeatedly. The sound
carried far and echoed
through the branches.
He was always relieved after voicing
what he felt inside. He stood tall
with his heart beating strongly in
his chest and was ready now for
whatever may come.
Malena heard the call from close by.
Without even thinking her instincts
drew her to the sound. She spun
around to hear it more clearly and
cupped her ear. There it was again.
Higher up in a very tall tree was
a boy monkey standing proudly.
She felt a warmth inside and was
instantly attracted to him.
“I must go meet this boy”
whispered her inner voice.
“I hope he is friendly and
likes me too.” The way there
appeared to be tricky, but she
knew she could do it.
She started to climb always keeping
her eyes focused on him and the
pathway so she wouldn’t go in the
wrong direction. Just a little further
to go and he would be near.
Stopping in awe, Malena took a moment
to gaze at him. Her eyes grew wide and
she blushed with joy! The space in her
heart was filled with peacefulness for
the very first time.
He was very handsome and something told
her his heart was kind. This was the special
day she had been waiting for as long as she
could remember.
Manolo was startled when he
heard the rustling of leaves
behind him. He was relieved to
see a girl monkey moving and in
his direction. She was smiling.
Seeing her beauty changed
the beat in his chest making
his face and hands feel warm.
“Who is this and why am I so
excited to meet her?” he gasped
in wonder.
Reaching for each other, they
softly spoke “Hi I am Malena”,
“Hi I am Manolo.” He carefully
helped her from the vine to sit
beside him on the branch.
An immediate connection formed and their
hearts soared. Dreaming of a life together,
they sang a song of love for all to hear. A new
journey of life as one had begun.