About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is in a high-energy, inquisitive phase, constantly asking why things are the way they are. This collection of origin myths offers imaginative, whimsical answers to those endless questions, like how the leopard got his spots or how the first letter was written. It is a celebration of language and the power of a well-told story to make sense of a confusing world. While the tales are lighthearted and rhythmic, they also touch on themes of curiosity, cleverness, and the consequences of one's actions. The vocabulary is rich and sophisticated, making it a perfect choice for parents who want to expand their child's linguistic horizons through reading aloud. It is best suited for children ages five to ten who enjoy animal fables and can appreciate a touch of dry, Edwardian humor.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
1. DISTRESS: In "The Elephant's Child," the protagonist is frequently spanked by all of his relatives for his "satiable curiosity." While intended as slapstick humor in 1902, modern children may find the repeated physical discipline of a child-figure upsetting. Additionally, the crocodile's attempt to pull the Elephant's Child into the river by his nose contains a moment of physical peril. 2. CONVERSATION: Parents should be prepared to discuss the historical context of the author. Kipling wrote from the perspective of the British Empire, and the text contains colonial-era racial caricatures and derogatory language regarding Indigenous people. Parents should prepare for a conversation about racism and the harmful stereotypes used during the British Empire, explaining how these views are harmful and how our understanding of different cultures has evolved.
Ideal Reader
A child with a vast imagination who loves "how things work" but prefers a magical answer over a scientific one. Also ideal for students who enjoy wordplay and rhythmic prose.
Parent Prep
Read "The Elephant's Child" first to decide how to handle the mentions of spanking. Additionally, pre-read stories like "How the Alphabet was Made" or "The Beginning of the Armadillos" to prepare for how to address or edit the 19th-century racial framing and colonialist language. A child asking a difficult "why" question that the parent cannot answer scientifically, or a child who is being particularly stubborn or lazy, mirroring the characters in the book.
Age Experience
Younger children will be captivated by the animal antics and the repetitive, soothing "Best Beloved" refrain. Older children (8-10) will appreciate the sophisticated vocabulary, the satire, and the intricate logic behind the world-building.
What Makes It Special
The prose is uniquely rhythmic and "mouth-filling." It was designed specifically to be read aloud, with a cadence that is almost hypnotic and unlike modern children's fiction.
Read plot summary
A collection of twelve fables that provide fictional, mythological explanations for the physical traits of animals and the origins of human inventions like writing. Each story is framed as a direct address to a child, using repetitive, musical language to describe various animals, such as a lazy camel or a hungry crocodile, who undergo a transformation based on their behavior or an encounter with a clever human.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
In 'How the Camel Got His Hump,' the Djinn punishes the camel for being lazy. Do you think the punishment was fair? Why or why not?
2
The Elephant's Child is told his curiosity is bad, but it leads him to a great discovery. When is curiosity a good thing, and when can it be dangerous?
3
If you could invent a story for why an animal looks the way it does, like a zebra's stripes or a giraffe's neck, what would your story be?
4
Many of these stories show animals and humans out-smarting each other. Which character do you think was the cleverest of all?
