Tikki Tikki Tembo

Rating:
Summary: Still good after 23 years
Review: It's been 23 years since I've heard the story... brings me back to first grade, sitting in the back of the classroom with the book in my hands and big clunky blue and white headphones on while listening to the recorded voice say the name over and over again... and now I've got two girls and want them to hear the story as well!

Rating:
Summary: Good book for a read aloud and discussion
Review: This is a retelling of an old Chinese folk tale about unnecessary and overly grandiose events. The initial premise is that the firstborn son is given a grand name, in this case Tikki Tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, which means "the most wonderful thing in the world." However, all subsequent sons are given short names, so the second son is called Chang, which means "little or nothing."
The tale begins with Chang falling into a well. Tikki Tikki Tembo runs for help and has no difficulty in telling the adults what happened. An old man uses a ladder to rescue Chang and after some brief treatment, he recovers. Later in the story, Tikki Tikki Tembo falls into the well and Chang runs for help. However, because of the length of the name, he has difficulty explaining what is wrong and help is delayed. While Tikki Tikki Tembo is rescued, it takes him a long time to recover. As a consequence of this event, the Chinese change their custom so that now all of their children are given short names.
The artwork of this book is excellent and the moral of the story a good one for children. I strongly recommend it for read-aloud sessions that end in a discussion.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS IT
Review: This is the real deal!! A wonderful book about a young chinese man with a very long name. Its a great bedtime story. Short and sweet. Honest and pure...clean...perfect for children. I read it to my husband and he even enjoyed the tale of the young chinese man with the very long name.....

Rating:
Summary: Fun, but inaccurate
Review: Tikki Tikki Tembo has a beautiful and fun name to say. However, that is where my praise of the book ends. The illustrations are lacking, not to mention inaccurate. A seemingly uncaring mother obviously favoring one son over the other is the main thing that stands out in my mind after having read this book. Perhaps my biggest problem with this text is the sweeping generalization it ends with, "from that day to this, the Chinese have always thought it wise to give their children little, short names, instead of great long names." I believe it is important to eduate and expose children to cultures outside of their own. However, we must do so in a way that promotes their curiousity and an accurate understanding. Multicultural literature can be a wonderful tool in the classroom as well as the home, when used properly; Tikki Tikki Tembo will be left out of my toolbox.