There is great excitement for Marianne when her father's nose tells him the mangoes will be ready to pick tomorrow. It's been a long wait. Her father wonders what she will do with them. Easy, eat them!
Awaking to the sweet smell of mangoes in the morning, she rushes outside. She and her cousin Zoe make a disturbing discovery; someone has picked all the mangoes from the lower branches. Her neighbor, Mr. Cruz, suggests that the blame should rest with 'a mango monster'. The worry is intense as Mr. Cruz explains the stealing has been happening since he was a boy.
The girls admit they don't like monsters; catching it could prevent further theft. Mr. Cruz offers help. Spreading ash from the firepit around the tree might help. The girls have a mystery on their hands. They begin to imagine how the mango monster might look. The tracks in the ash lead them to the pigs; they can only eat the mangoes that fall from the trees. Besides, pigs are not what they imagined.
They try tying bells to the branches, which are rung by a squirrel. Not the squirrel! Next, they try big pots on the branches. The pots scare monkeys away and make a huge noise. Until now, nothing has met their criteria for the mango monster: big and purple, long, sharp claws, an orange tongue. The animals are eating the mangoes, but none are the monster!
When they find purple fur, they are sure they're onto something. Three traps are what they need: ash, bells and pots filled with water. The morning brings a terrible noise. The mystery is solved! The Mango Monster is Marianne's dad who has been sharing mangoes with neighbors, and the food bank. There are plenty left.
Marianne comes up with a perfect plan. Two mango monsters ... or is it three?
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