I want the name of a children's book, that was available at least as
early as 1965, whose primary characters were a family of monkeys that
lived in trees and at night were being harassed (and killed) by
vampire bats. The main character had a charm to keep the bats away.

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 11 Mar 2005 17:59 PST

This is just a shot in the dark, but how about "The Seven Monkeys" (1962)?
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?ph=2&bi=142138026

Look familiar?

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Clarification of Question by menemene-ga on 12 Mar 2005 04:32 PST

No. Bernice Frankel's book, "the seven monkeys" is definately not it.
While I could not find a content description for "the seven monkeys",
in the book I am looking for, the monkeys are anthromorphized into
human characters, that wear clothes and have a Hanuman charactistic
look to them. It also seems to me that the story may take place in
India, as opposed to Africa or S.America. I recall the cover being a
solid lime green with (with or without the jacket) and it has a
picture of the charm (bluish) in the center (never-ending-storyish).

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Clarification of Question by menemene-ga on 12 Mar 2005 04:51 PST

The title I remember for this book had the words "monkey king" or
"monkey prince". but I could be wrong about that. I also remember very
few pictures, but at least a 12-14 pt. dark font.

Hello.

I believe that your book was "The Three Royal Monkeys" by Walter de la Mare.

The book involves a family of anthropomorphic monkeys who wear
clothes. Additionally, the magic charm that you remember is confirmed
in a reader review on Amazon.  The magic charm is apparently called a
"wonderstone."

'...you'll love this "children's" novel about three royal monkeys (or
mulla-mulgars) who journey across a strangely wintery fantasy Africa
so that they can live with their "Uncle Assasimmon, Prince of the
Valleys of Tishnar". On the way, they encounter flesh-eating
"minimuls," "mountain mulgars" who do battle with eagles, the deadly
beast Immanala, a beautiful water-midden who tricks one of the mulgars
and takes his magic "wonderstone","
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/086072154X/

The book has been in and out of print since 1910.  Used copies from
the early 1900s, 1940s, 1960s, etc., are available for sale on
Abebooks:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?y=0&tn=three+royal+monkeys&x=0
The cover of a 1946 edition depicts the monkeys wearing clothes:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?ph=2&bi=248824676

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search strategy:
abebooks.com, title: monkeys, keyword: children's fiction

I hope this helps. Please request clarification if you have any questions. Thanks.

This is exactly the book I was looking for.

Thanks!!!!

Thank you for the tip.
-juggler