Mischief, Jam, and Bedtime Whimsy: Adam Shepherd on Monkey in My Pocket

With fur the colour of chocolate and a knack for getting into trouble, the cheeky little character at the heart of Monkey in My Pocket has captured more than just jam jars - he’s captured the hearts of families everywhere.

Told in lively rhyme and full of wild antics, Adam Shepherd’s story follows a mischievous monkey who leaps from a shirt pocket the moment the workday ends. Chaos, giggles, and bedtime cuddles follow in this joyful reminder of imagination, playfulness, and the bonds we share at home.

We caught up with Adam to find out what inspired the story, how Monkey came to life, and why a little mischief at the end of the day might be exactly what we all need.

What first inspired Monkey in My Pocket? Was there a moment or idea that sparked the story?

Simply put, it came from bedtimes with our two boys... When they were a little younger, bedtime always ended with them tucked up under the covers whilst their mummy and/or I read them a story from one of their favourite storybooks. Our oldest had a little soft cuddly plush toy, Monkey, that he loved to cuddle…

I would very often secretly pinch the monkey from beside him and hide it in my top pocket and pretend I didn’t know how it got there! When he spotted the monkey, it would jump out of my top pocket (with my help) and tickle him. Laughter would ensue and fill the bedroom but was swiftly followed by a stern telling-off from my wife for exciting the kids and not letting them settle.

It was here I had that “lightbulb” moment for a children’s bedtime storybook about a mischievous monkey that lived in a top pocket, having adventures and causing mayhem.

The rhyme flows beautifully throughout - was writing in verse a natural choice for you?

I’ve always found writing in verse comes more naturally to me than not—my mind just seems to want to rhyme. When I was (much!) younger, I actually won a poetry competition, and my poem was displayed in our local library. I was even invited to recite it during school assemblies in front of everyone, which felt both thrilling and terrifying at the time!

I’ve loved writing in rhyme ever since. There’s something so satisfying about finding the perfect contextual words that not only tell a story but also dance together in rhythm. Although, I’ll admit—you wouldn’t believe how long it took me to come up with a rhyme for ‘jam’!

Monkey is such a fun and loveable character. Did you imagine him as a metaphor, or is he just good old-fashioned chaos?

Honestly, I’m not clever enough to state that Monkey started out as a grand metaphor—he really didn’t. But as I wrote the story, tore it up, rewrote it, and started again (more than once!), his character began to take shape in my mind. Over time, I realised that the little lessons he learns at the end of each adventure don’t just fit children’s experiences—they mirror the lessons we learn as parents too.

It all came together quite naturally, almost without me noticing it until it was almost finished, but Monkey in his purest form is good old-fashioned chaos destined to bring a smile to everyone’s face no matter what sort of day they have had.

The story builds such brilliant energy. How did you approach balancing the mischief with the warmth and calm of bedtime?

I have to give an honourable mention to my wife. When it came to bedtime, I was always the mischief, and she was the calm—the balance that kept everything just right. The kids brought the warmth, especially on those cold, dark nights when the four of us would huddle under the covers, reading a festive favourite together.

After a few thousand children’s books, you start to feel how the rhythm of a story should work—hopefully it flows through you like a river. So when Monkey began his mischief, writing for him came naturally. He almost seemed to create his own energy, and I just followed where he led, guided by our own storytime experiences.

What’s your favourite part of Monkey’s antics, and did any scene make you laugh while writing it?

I’ve always loved the idea of Monkey tucked into the top pocket of “Dad” in the stories. The moment you see him there peeking out, you just know chaos is about to unfold—it feels like that instant before the starting gun fires before a race and the sprinters take off. The images of Monkey dipping his paws into the pot of jam and flinging it everywhere—with a few splatters landing on the photo of a visibly shocked “Gran”—still make me laugh every time I think about it.

The photo of Grandma in the storybook is a little tribute to my own mum, who taught me the true value of family. She passed away earlier in 2025, and having a part of her live on in this book means more to me than words can say. It’s a small, joyful way to keep her close.

The ending is both funny and heartwarming. Was it important to you to include a moment of emotional connection after all the chaos?

Bedtime, for me, is all about creating those emotional connections that can be so hard to find during the rush of the day. Life is a constant juggle, and those quiet moments before sleep are when everything finally slows down enough to truly be present. I love that, through all of Monkey’s chaos and mischief, there’s always a life lesson to be found.

Those little lessons help shape how children see the world—and guide them toward making the right choices in their own adventures. But when all is said and done, that final cuddle at the end of a long day matters just as much for the adult as it does for the child. It’s that simple reassurance—a shared moment that says, no matter what’s happened today, everything’s going to be okay.

Many parents and carers will relate to the “end of day madness” the book captures. Did your own experience of family life influence the tone or humour?

Absolutely! Our boys had some incredible creative excuses that always seemed to appear the moment the word “bedtime” was mentioned. We heard it all—the classics like “I’m hungry”, “I’m thirsty”, and “I’m not tired”, followed by the dramatic hiding, arguing, or even tears. And then there were the stalling tactics—like the time one of our youngest asked, “Daddy, what’s the meaning of life?” (I promise, that really happened!).

We discovered that a good routine worked wonders—hands and face washed, teeth cleaned, book chosen—and slowly, the bedtime chaos began to settle. Well… until Daddy got a bit too excited, started tickling everyone, making them laugh, and inevitably got told off. Again.

If you could bring Monkey to life for one day, what would you and he get up to?

Sport plays a big part in our family life. Both of our boys play rugby, and many a Sunday morning you’ll find my wife and me standing on the touchline, cheering them on with frozen fingers and proud hearts. I can easily imagine, and hope one day to write, an adventure where Monkey goes to watch a match, whether it’s football, rugby, or hockey, and somehow finds himself right in the middle of the action. I can just see him being adopted as the team’s unofficial mascot or, in true Monkey fashion, scoring the winning try or goal—thick, wet mud matted in his fur and a huge grin on his face.

What do you hope young readers (and grown-up readers!) take away from the story?

In the fast-paced world we live in, driven by incredible technology and constant distractions, it’s so easy to forget how truly special bedtime can be for children and for parents/carers alike. No matter how busy life became, my wife and I always made bedtime sacred. It was our moment to slow down, to reconnect with the children on an emotional level.

Some of my fondest memories come from those evenings, reading stories together, seeing the boys’ faces light up, hearing their giggles & laughter, and fielding the endless questions that always followed the most fantastical tales. Those moments are etched in my heart.

If my bedtime storybook can offer even a small piece of that joy and connection to other families, a moment of shared wonder before the lights go out. I’d consider that a great honour and my time on this earth well spent.

Where can readers follow you and keep up with your future stories?

Thank you for asking! My website—www.monkeyinmypocket.co.uk—is currently being developed, and it will soon be the best place to keep up with all the latest updates and new projects and links to all our social media accounts if you would like to join Monkey in his Pocket and follow him.

You will also be able to order signed copies of the book (with or without a personal dedication) and a few fun bits of Monkey merchandise, if you fancy.

And between us… I’ve heard there’s a Monkey In My Pocket Christmas storybook in the works—so keep an eye out for that!