Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel (Retold by), Blair Lent (Illustrator)

Synopsis

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-
chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!

Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

Annotation

When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

Publishers Weekly

In this folktale, help is slow in coming when a Chinese boy falls into a well, since the boy's long and difficult name must be pronounced in full. Beautifully expressive drawings enhance the book's Oriental feel. Ages 4-7. (Oct.)

Biography

The late Arlene Mosel first heard the story of Tikki tikki tembo as a child. When she grew up, she shared this wonderful tale with countless children, including her own. Because so many young listeners responded enthusiastically, she decided to put down her own retelling, which became her first book for children.

Blair Lent began illustrating picture books in the 1960s. He received the Caldecott Medal in 1973 for The Funny Little Woman, by Arlene Mosel, and has also been awarded three Caldecott Honors. He lives and works in Cambridge, Massachusetts.