It's nearly Christmas, and a small toy monkey named Minky waits on a shelf in a London department store, hoping to be someone's holiday present. The toy is very happy when he is purchased by two young girls. However, Minky hasn't yet found his home, because he will be sent to a needy child who lives far away. He is placed with other toys and is packed inside a gaily decorated shoebox, which will be shipped to his new owner. Inside the shoebox, Minky meets a little wind-up robot. The two become friends and travelling companions. The shoebox is taken to the local chapel, a collection point for a children's charity. But Minky's travels don't end there! Minky and Little Robot travel in the cabin of a large red box lorry with their Romanian drivers. In their travels, they cross the English Channel, encounter adventures on the German-Austrian border, and struggle through snowstorms until they finally reach Romania. Minky the Shoebox Monkey ends up in a remote village, where he finally reaches home, and meets the little boy who will love him forever. This wonderful adventure shows the true meaning of giving and receiving. Author Sally Rickett lives with her family in a village in northern Portugal. Originally from England, she moved to Portugal nine years ago. She and her husband run a language school in the city of Bragança. The author thinks that children's laughter is the most wonderful sound in the world. Every year, she and her daughters fill and wrap Christmas shoeboxes that are sent to children in poor countries. Publisher's website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/MinkyTheShoeboxMonkey.html