Tikki Tikki Tembo

Book: Tikki Tikki Tembo

Author: Arlene Mosel

Summary: A boy named Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo falls into a well. It is about an original myth from the Chinese culture as to why peoples names there are so short.

Evaluation: I found that this book was also like the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf because the mom tells the boys not to play by the well but they keep doing it and the mom doesn't believe when Tikki Tikki Tembo falls down the well for the third time. This is a good book for students to read because it teaches the valuable lesson of listen to your parents. The mom knew the well was dangerous but the boys continued to play by it anyways and Tikki Tikki Tembo fell in. I love the pictures in the book because it makes it seem like you are in the culture.

This book would fall under the genre of folklore because it is based on an old Chinese myth about the names of the Chinese children. Arlene Mosel only wrote two book and this one was her most famous book since it was based of a famous myth. The illustrator of the book was Blair Lent. He teamed up with Arlene Mosel on both of her books. When he does his illustrations he uses a variety of techniques such as ink and color pencils and acrylic painting.

Motivational Activities:

Write their own myth: Students would take an old myth that they found interesting (provided by the teacher) and rewrite it putting their own creative spin on it. Then they would go ahead and illustrate the book as well.

Compare and Contrast: Students would make a Venn Diagram and compare the book Tikki Tikki Tmbo with the original Chinese myth. they would pick out the similarities and differences from both myths.

Personal Comments: I've always enjoyed this book and one day want it in my classroom. It is very entertaining to read and the students also enjoy the name every time you read it off. This book also teaches a good lesson for children to listen to their parents.

Questions:

1. Why should you listen to your parents?
2. Could the boys have played anywhere else other than the well?

References:

http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2012/07/tikki_tikki_tembo.html

Mosel, Arlene, and Blair Lent. Tikki Tikki Tembo. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968. Print