This children’s picture book consists of six separate short stories with characters Yako the monkey, a stuffed monkey who comes to lfe, and his new-found friend Emma, along with neighborhood children. Each story teaches life’s fundamentals at a level that children can understand in an entertaining fashion. This book includes learning to share; learning how to deal with bullies; learning about the hurt of gossip; learning how to deal with the loss of a family member; learning unconditional giving; and learning about love and being lost. Each story depicts Yako the monkey, who is learning the self-developmental stages of life, with his owner/friend Emma teaching him. The neighborhood children pose many challenges to Yako in his learning abilities.