Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel
Tikki Tikki Tembo, Arlene Mosel
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Tikki Tikki Tembo

Author: Arlene Mosel

Narrator: Marcia Gay Harden

Unabridged: 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/21/2009

Synopsis

This humorous retelling of a favorite folktale recounts how the Chinese came to give their children short names. This perfect read-aloud storybook is one adults and children will enjoy sharing together again and again.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.

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo is the name of a mother's first, and most honored, son. It means, "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!"

About Arlene Mosel

Arlene Mosel (1921-1996) 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 write her own retelling, and Tikki Tikki Tembo became her first book for children. The book was named an American Library Association Notable Book and won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In 1997, The New York Times named it one of the best 50 children's books of the previous 50 years. Mosel was also the author of The Funny Little Woman, which won the 1973 Caldecott Medal for Blair Lent's illustrations and was recognized as an Honor Book by the Hans Christian Andersen International Children's Book Awards. Mosel was an associate professor of library science at Case Western Reserve University. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Mosel died in Indianapolis in 1996.

About Marcia Gay Harden

Marcia Gay Harden is an Academy Award-winning actress who has performed in many movies, including Pollock, Into the Wild, The Mist, Casa de los Babys, Mystic River, Flubber, Meet Joe Black, and The First Wives Club. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Lee Krasner in Pollock. She has appeared on television shows including Damages and Royal Pains. For Macmillan Audio, she reads Arlene Mosel’s classic children’s book, Tikki Tikki Tembo.

About Blair Lent

Blair Lent received the Caldecott Medal for The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel. He has also received three Caldecott Honors. He is the illustrator of Ms. Mosel's Tikki Tikki Tembo, a bestseller since its publication in 1968. Blair Lent lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Darla on November 03, 2022

This book is sure to capture the attention of the entire class on their reading rug. The listeners will eagerly latch onto the challenge of memorizing the 21-syllable name of this first son. The illustrations by Blaire Lent are intricate and imaginative. When these two boys play by the well, one fal......more

Goodreads review by Ronyell on August 19, 2017

I actually first heart of this book on a Weston Woods video and I really enjoyed this story! “Tikki Tikki Tembo” is an old Chinese folktale retold by Arlene Mosel along with illustrations by Blair Lent and it is about how a young boy named Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruche-pip peri pemb......more

Goodreads review by Kellie on November 30, 2022

I just read this adorable book again. I remember reading this book when I was very little and I loved it then and still do!! This book has wonderfully colored illustrations for children to fall in love with 💕 It brings back so many wonderful memories!! This simple book says so much in a way children......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on February 19, 2024

Spoiler: the actual reason Chinese names are so short is that Chinese is a logogram language with one character producing one syllable. Two to three characters (occasionally four if you have a rare two character patronym) make up a name. In other words, this book is a totally inaccurate origin story,......more

Goodreads review by Joanie on February 28, 2010

I loved this book when I was a kid and have really enjoyed reading it to my son. He loves trying to say the whole name-lots of fun.......more

Quotes

“Just right for storytelling and tongue-twisting repeating, and . . . for reading aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This old folktale of what happens when the boy falls into a well...should make excellent read-aloud material....Bright, active, and delightfully expressive.” —School Library Journal

“On spacious, uncluttered pages the artist has extended the story with wonderfully droll ink-and-wash drawings that combine imaginative beauty with a true Chinese spirit.” —The Horn Book

Awards

  • Parents' Choice Award Winner
  • Boston Globe - Horn Book Award
  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • AudioFile Best Audiobooks
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