Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
by Rudyard Kipling, Jerry Pinkney

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
List Price: $6.99
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Buy Rikki-Tikki-Tavi at Amazon.com
(Click here)
Buy this book at online book store in your country
Canada | UK | Germany | France

Book Summary Information

Author: Jerry Pinkney, Rudyard Kipling
Illustrator: Jerry Pinkney
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-05-01
ISBN: 0060587857
Number of pages: 48
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: HarperCollins
Product features:

Book Reviews of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

Book Review: An Excellent Stepping-Stone to the Original Story
Summary: 4 Stars

There are two schools of thought regarding illustrated adaptations of literary classics. One school holds that stories that are simplified for early listeners can be ruined in the process, because the listener's first experience doesn't contain the beauty and depth of the original. The second school holds that well-written adaptations can serve as stepping-stones to original works, making them more accessible. I am still between the two camps, but in making decisions about specific classic titles I ask two questions:

1. Is the story content appropriate for a reading level that can't yet master the language in the original? If not, it's probably better to wait until a child is linguistically and emotionally ready for the original.
2. Is the quality of the adaptation high enough that it entices, rather than discourages, readers to explore further? If it can't stand on its own merit but only piggybacks on the original's popularity, it may cause the reader to associate the original with mediocrity.

The answer to question 1 will be different for different families and readers. I would say that Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a young Indian mongoose who is adopted by a British family and drives the venomous snakes out of their home and garden, may appeal more to boys than girls, and parents of sensitive children should certainly screen this book since it contains dramatic animal violence, multiple attempted murders by talking snakes (in one of these a child is threatened), and Rikki-Tikki's merciless execution of many cobras in their eggs. But this story is a classic for good reason: Rikki-Tikki exemplifies courage, loyalty, defending the helpless, and a relentless commitment to oppose the evil snakes regardless of the cost. Every child will want a pet mongoose after experiencing this story.

As for question 2, Pinkney's adaptation uses modern language, retaining almost none of Kipling's masterful language, but telling the story very well. What really makes this book are his lavish, exuberant watercolor paintings which draw the reader in and dramatize the story in a very vivid way.

I recommend this story for children who are able to tolerate suspense and conflict, who have no reptile phobias, and who are transitioning out of the picture-book stage but are not yet ready for Kipling's sometimes challenging language. Although this book could stand on its own as a part of a home library, I recommend that it ought to be followed very closely by a version with the original language. Once the story is understood, this method will provide a great opportunity for vocabulary expansion and an appreciation of more elevated prose.

Summary of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

"Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

A classic story from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, adapted and illustrated by award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney, this is the tale of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a fearless young mongoose.

Soon after a flood washes Rikki into the garden of an English family, he comes face-to-face with Nag and Nagaina, two giant cobras. The snakes are willing to attack Rikki, and even the human family who lives there, to claim the garden and house for themselves. But they do not count on the heart and pride of the brave little mongoose.

General Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Favorite books from my childhood
Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs (Sunburst Book) ImageSnow-White and the Seven Dwarfs (Sunburst Book)
by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm K. Grimm, Nancy Eckholm Burkert
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); Published: 1987-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.82
Price in other shops: $7.95
The Little Prince ImageThe Little Prince
by Antoine De Saint - Exupery
Heritage Publishers; Published: 2007-11-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.70
Price in other shops: $15.99
Blueberries for Sal (Picture Puffins) ImageBlueberries for Sal (Picture Puffins)
by Robert McCloskey
Puffin; Published: 1976-09-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.95
Price in other shops: $7.99
Love You Forever ImageLove You Forever
by Robert N. Munsch
Firefly Books; Published: 1995-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.66
Price in other shops: $14.95
Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings ImageWhere the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein
HarperCollins; Published: 2004-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.10
Price in other shops: $18.99
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition ImageChicka Chicka Boom Boom: Anniversary Edition
by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault
Beach Lane Books; Published: 2009-09-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.40
Price in other shops: $17.99
Corduroy (40th Anniversary Edition) ImageCorduroy (40th Anniversary Edition)
by Don Freeman
Viking Juvenile; Published: 2008-03-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.67
Price in other shops: $19.99
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi ImageRikki-Tikki-Tavi
by Rudyard Kipling, Jerry Pinkney
HarperCollins; Published: 2004-05-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.79
Price in other shops: $6.99
Come Back, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2) ImageCome Back, Amelia Bedelia (I Can Read Book 2)
by Peggy Parish
HarperCollins; Published: 1995-09-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.49
Price in other shops: $16.99
Caps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book) ImageCaps for Sale Big Book (Reading Rainbow Book)
by Esphyr Slobodkina
HarperFestival; Published: 1996-01-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.09
Price in other shops: $24.99
Similar Books and other products
The Jungle Book (Unabridged Classics) ImageThe Jungle Book (Unabridged Classics)
by Rudyard Kipling
Sterling; Published: 2007-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.73
Price in other shops: $9.95
The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales (BookFestival) ImageThe Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales (BookFestival)
by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 1992-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.60
Price in other shops: $8.99
Chuck Jones' Rikki-Tikki-Tavi ImageChuck Jones' Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
by Rudyard Kipling
Ideals Publications; Published: 2006-02-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.48
Price in other shops: $8.95
The Lion & the Mouse ImageThe Lion & the Mouse
by Jerry Pinkney
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 2009-09-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.93
Price in other shops: $16.99
Little Red Riding Hood ImageLittle Red Riding Hood
by Jerry Pinkney
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Published: 2007-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.67
Price in other shops: $16.99
A Collection of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories ImageA Collection of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling
Candlewick; Published: 2004-10-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.25
Price in other shops: $22.99
Chuck Jones Collection ImageChuck Jones Collection
LIONSGATE ENT.; Release date: 2007-11-06; DVD
Best price: $7.48
Price in other shops: $14.98
Just So Stories (Classic Literature With Classical Music. Children's Favorites) ImageJust So Stories (Classic Literature With Classical Music. Children's Favorites)
by Rudyard Kipling
Naxos Audiobooks; Published: 2002-03; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $10.59
Price in other shops: $22.98
Rikki Tikki Tavi/Yankee Doodle Cricket ImageRikki Tikki Tavi/ Yankee Doodle Cricket
Lions Gate; Release date: 2005-01-25; DVD
Best price: $5.02
Price in other shops: $9.98
The Jungle Book (Books of Wonder) ImageThe Jungle Book (Books of Wonder)
by Rudyard Kipling
HarperCollins; Published: 1995-09-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.01
Price in other shops: $25.99
Book store. Illustrated catalog of books on different categories