Kali And the Rat Snake

By Zai Whitaker

Book Overview

Kali's father is a snake catcher - the best in the village. Kali knows that is really something to be proud of, but at school he sometimes gets embarrassed. The other children seem to think there is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933605103
• ISBN13: 9781933605104
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Kane Miller Book Pub
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.8" x 0.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

Kali and the Rate Snake is A wondeful Cultural Exploration

Title: Kali and the Rat Snake Author: Zai Whitaker Illustration: Srividya Nataranjan Published by: Kane/Miller Book Publishers ISBN 13: 978-1-933605-10-4 Review by: Diana Rohini LaVigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine Teaching kids how to deal with peer pressure is only one of the important messages that Kali and the Rat Snake by Zai Whitaker presents. The bold illustrations and expressive text starts with the tale of a boy who is struggling from the lack of acceptance of his classmates in regards to his unusual background. Children taunt the young Kali and although some children might have bad intentions, Kali only dreams of being accepted by his peers. He is loved by his teacher and otherwise living a happy life, but being new to school and having trouble making friends is forming a very unhappy side to Kali's life. A moment of crisis changes the course of his future when a snake appears in the school room threatening Kali, his teacher and his classmates. Being the son of a snake catcher, Kali takes immediate action by securing the snake without much effort. Classmates are instantly thankful to Kali for knowing how to capture the potentially dangerous wild snake. Classmate's respect opens the door for Kali to make new friendships and almost insures his acceptance with other students. The Illustrations by Srividya Nataranjan bring the story alive and help demonstrate how Kali is able to overcome his challenges and gain the respect of his fellow schoolmates. Images are truly unique and bring a level of cultural awareness to youthful readers. Kali and the Rat Snake captured my heart and will surely capture the hearts and minds of today's youth. It a beautiful and well-written book which is a solid contribution to children's cultural literature.

A delightful children's story about accepting differences and learning to appreciate the talents in

Set in India, Kali And The Rat Snake is the picturebook story of a boy, Kali, who has trouble fitting in at school. He is one of the Irula, an indigenous tribal people who live in Southern India and who have traditionally made a living as snake catchers. As the son of a snake catcher, Kali feels different from the other children, a teacher's pet, and he has trouble making friends. But when a big rat snake threatens the class, only Kali knows what to do! Energetic color illustrations by Srividya Natarajan pepper this delightful children's story from Zai Whitaker about accepting differences and learning to appreciate the talents in oneself and others. Highly recommended.