Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

by Rudyard Kipling

Book Overview

This gorgeous picture book edition of the classic story from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was adapted and illustrated by beloved award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney.

"A beautiful edition for reading aloud," proclaimed Booklist. "Excitement and danger ebb and flow throughout," added Kirkus.

Soon after a flood washes Rikki into the garden of a family, he comes face-to-face with Nag and Nagaina, two giant cobras. The...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688143202
• ISBN13: 9780688143206
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.5" x 11.4"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

NOT the Kipling you know and love. This is adapted for modern audiences.

Beautiful illustrations but the language is not the lovely prose of Kipling. There’s nothing wrong with the language but it is not what I expected.

Brilliant Tale for Children and Adults

This is a brilliant animated version of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale. A mongoose (Rikki Tikki Tavi) is rescued by a British family living in India. Their kindness is quickly rewarded when Rikki proves to be a protective pet and ruthless killer of poisonous snakes. When a couple of cobras moves in nearby, Rikki must use all of his cunning and skill to rid the area of the two deadly enemies. Orson Wells makes a great narrator in this great classic. Not recommended for very young children. Doug Setter, author of Stomach Flattening and One Less Victim: A Prevention Guide

Two boys' review: A light introduction to Kipling

This is a book version of the Chuck Jones cartoon that aired on CBS in 1975. I recommend you buy the DVD and the book together, so that little kids can hear the characters' voices. Don't let the other reviewers dissuade you from buying this book because it is an edited version of The Jungle Book. I have a five-year old and a four-year old and they enjoy this shorter version. I'll introduce them to the original book in a couple of years.

to help clarify reviewer "Heath Buckmaster" confusion

I also love Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and remember it from when I was a little girl... and I also remember another story that I think you have this one mixed up with. You were wondering why nobody knew what you were talking about when you said you remembered it as "rikki-tikki-tembo-noserembo-charley-barley-ruchi-pip-berry-pembo"... Well that's because it (your version is just slightly off) is from the story Tikki Tikki Tembo as retold to Arlene Mosel & illustrated by Blair Lent. When the oldest son of a Chinese family is born, it was custom to honor them with long names. The oldest son in this story is Tikki-tiki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, which meant "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!" Well, Rikki tikki tembo and his little brother Chang are playing and Chang falls into the well. Rikki tikki tembo runs and tells his mother who tells him to fetch the old man with the ladder to fish him out. It's a long way to the well & back, over walls and up hills and steps and it's hard work and they are out of breath but they save Chang. A few months later the brothers are again playing when Rikki tikki tembo now falls into the well. Chang must run a long way up and down the mountain and over walls and steps and is out of breath when he finally reaches his mother and can't say his brother's really long name. Chang gasps and coughs and sputters and stutters, all the while his mother is telling him to speak his brother's name with reverence. Chang thinks that surely Rikki tikki tembo must have drowned by now? He finally gets out his brother's full name and his mother sends him to fetch the old man with the ladder. But the old man doesn't want to be disturbed from his dream and besides Chang doesn't think that he can get his brother's long name out again so he tells the old man that his mother's precious pearl has fallen into the well. With that the old man gets up and they finally pull Rikki tikki tembo up from the well. But because Rikki-tikki-tembo was in the well so long, it took him a long time to recover. And from that moment on the Chinese have always thought it wise to give their children little, short names instead of great long names... I am not sure why I was compelled to give that much detail to that story and none to Rikki-tikki-tavi, but there you have it... I hope that cleared up the confusion for the previous reviewer.

A beautiful story

A young mongoose got swept away from his family by a flood and ended up with a person family. They took very good care of him and he loved them. Cobras who were called Nag and Nagaina lived in the garden. Rikki Tikki Tavi protected the family from them. There were birds, too, who were friends of the mongoose. One of their babies fell out of the nest and Nag ate it. My brother and I loved this book. Hannah, aged 7

the best version ever

I grew up with this version of the book and it is my ultimate favorite book. Anyone who comes across a copy should definitly get it. This illustrator did a wonderful job and I was sad to hear that it was out of print