We can't wait to open Cheeky Monkeys Books & Toys! Our mission is to provide a quality selection for all those who cultivate the love of reading in children and value the important role of play in their lives. We will work as a dedicated community partner to help raise readers, instill the love of reading as a life-long pursuit and seek to stimulate, engage and inspire young minds.

Our children's books will be for age ranges from babies to young adults (* our website will carry 3 million+ titles - not just for children - and will include e-books *). Our toys will have a focus on those that are eco-friendly, educational, old-fashioned, hand-made (especially by local artists) and/or incorporate a strong design element. We will also be carrying art, architecture and photography books to not only cater to the thriving arts community, but young "artists-in-the making". We will carry a selection of books in Spanish and aim to have a Spanish story-time once a month. Our dynamic calendar of events will go beyond just story-time and author readings/signings by including classes and activities such as: art, crafts, music, language, parenting, healthy mind & body, Kids/Family Night-Out, book/toy swaps, summer camps (& much more!). In-store birthday parties will also be available. Book clubs will grow organically and will include one led by the “store YA expert”, who will be a student chosen via a contest in local schools.

We will be helping local schools add books to their own libraries and will collaborate with the City's library system so its collections also grow. We will hold special Teacher's Days and hope to offer free in-store tutoring. We also hope to receive training on how to adapt books and toys for children with special needs.

As passionate proponents of the "buy local" movement we will feature a collection of items by local artists and our events will include local children's authors and illustrators. We will support, promote and partner with local businesses, organizations and groups, especially those owned/led by women and will give of our time and resources to local charities. We will invite members of the community to present seminars, workshops, discuss topics, offer concerts, performances, etc. We don't just seek to engage with the community, but become an integral part of it and we certainly believe in the proverb that it takes a village to raise a child!

We hope that once we open, our shop becomes a destination of discovery and THE community resource for sharing information about children and supporting activities that enhance reading, play and family life.