A Collection of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories [Hardcover]

Rudyard Kipling (Author), Christopher Corr (Illustrator), Cathie Felstead (Illustrator), Jeff Fisher (Illustrator), Sotoshi Kitamura (Illustrator), Clare Melinsky (Illustrator), Jane Ray (Illustrator), Peter Sis (Illustrator), Louise Voce (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: October 7, 2004 | Grade Level: Kindergarten and up

In this gorgeous collection featuring eight of Kipling's JUST SO STORIES, each tale is illustrated by a different leading contemporary artist.

How did the rude Rhinoceros get his baggy skin? How did a 'satiably curious Elephant change the lives of his kin evermore? First told aloud to his young daughter ("O my Best Beloved"), Rudyard Kipling's inspired answers to these and other burning questions draw from the fables he heard as a child in India and the folktales he gathered from around the world. Now, in this sumptuous volume, Kipling's playful, inventive tales are brought to life by eight of today's celebrated illustrators, from Peter Sís's elegantly graphic cetacean in "How the Whale Got His Throat" to Satoshi Kitamura's amusingly expressive characters in "The Cat That Walked by Himself." From one of the world's greatest storytellers come eight classic tales just begging to be heard by a new generation — and a visual feast that offers a reward with every retelling.

Featuring illustrations by:
Christopher Corr
Cathie Felstead
Jeff Fisher
Satoshi Kitamura
Claire Melinsky
Jane Ray
Peter Sís
Louise Voce

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1St Edition edition (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763626295
• ISBN-13: 978-0763626297
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.8 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6–Eight well-known tales serve as a showcase for a variety of illustrators. Peter Sís's familiar dots and a watery blue and brown palette illustrate "How the Whale Got His Throat," while Christopher Corr uses bright colors against a hot yellow background to set the scene for "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin." Other artists use collage, watercolors, and woodcuts to illustrate a story; some styles evoke ethnic art, while others are more cartoonlike. Barry Moser's watercolor illustrations offer a more unified vision for Just So Stories, a slightly different set of Kipling's famous tales (Morrow, 1996). While picture-book treatments of a single story are available, libraries in need of a collection can consider this a supplemental purchase.–Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6, younger for reading aloud. There are many fine editions of Kipling's perennially popular fables still in print, but this colorful collection of eight tales distinguishes itself with its range of artwork. Well-known children's book artists, including Peter Sis, Jane Ray, and Satoshi Kitamura, contributed the art, each one illustrating a different story. The vibrant mix of styles and materials adds new dimension to favorite stories, while the text remains close to Kipling's original, down to the delicious refrain, "O my Best Beloved." A lively, accessible edition that teachers will want to use with classroom units on pourquoi tales. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1St Edition edition (October 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763626295
• ISBN-13: 978-0763626297
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.8 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars This is an abridged version, not the real deal! May 1, 2009

By WRF

Format:Paperback

I bought this book a couple of years ago. It wasn't until recently, when I was leafing through a very old copy that I found on my shelves that I realized that this book does not contain the following stories that were in the original: How the First Letter was Written; How the Alphabet was Made; The Crab that Played with the Sea; and the Butterfly that Stamped.

In particular, the Crab and the Butterfly are two of the finest Just so Stories and should not be missed. I certainly would not have bought this book had I known it was an abridged version. I suppose that's why the publishers have cleverly entitled this book a "collection". What's an added disappointment is that there is no indication or explanation anywhere in this book regarding the excluded stories--though I can guess at the reasons.

If I were buying, I'd look for a complete edition.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My children LOVE this book! January 15, 2008

By Kelly Erickson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I cannot speak highly enough about this wonderful book. It is meant to be read just as it is written and I started reading it to my twin boys when they were 4 years old. Immersing them in such beautiful language is such a gift. They never get tired of hearing the same stories over and over, especially "The Elephant's Child" with his satiable curtiosity! I particularly like this edition of it, because the illustrations are vibrant and interesting, without the book costing a fortune. Each story is very creative and I don't find it offensive at all. It was written in 1900, for crying out loud, and those kids turned out just fine, if you ask me. When your child gets to the stage where they never stop asking questions, you will especially enjoy the accompanying poem at the end of Elephant's Child. This is an absolute must have in any home library. When you read it, just make sure you use your funny voices to make the characters come alive.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Family Readaloud Material February 11, 2007

By Mary J. Morgan

Format:Hardcover

When I married, Mother gave me our family copy of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories which had scribbles in it from more than one of my five siblings. I don't remember reading it as a child, to be honest, but it was there. When our first two children were old enough to sit still for a story, my husband sat them in his lap and read them "The Elephant's Child" from this volume. After they squirmed a bit, he assigned acting parts to one or the other of them at various times, and by the time the third son came along they were fighting over acting parts. With voice inflection and movement to accompany the reading, they understood this story more and more, and they began to beg for more story time. He added first one and then another of the stories in this classic. Now our second son and his wife have had their first child, and for his first Christmas as a parent we were delighted to give him him own copy, and the two new parents are continuing the tradition. Bravo, Rudyard Kipling, and bravo, Daddy

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My son loved this book September 11, 2007

By PB

Format:Hardcover

I don't understand the other comment about not being appropriate for children because my son loved it! A friend gave me this book when my son was 3 years old. I went through it first, to see what the stories were like, before reading any to him. He was used to all the Disney stories up until then, but really liked the stories in this book. This was back in 1989 and 1990. His favorite was "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin." Unfortunately, I sold the book when I moved so now have to buy a new copy that I will give to a friend having a baby. My son still remembers this book and how much fun it was to listen to the stories.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good collection; nice hardcover edition April 20, 2011

By M. Heiss

Format:Hardcover

This book includes:
How the Whale got his Throat
How the Camel got his Hump
How the Rhinoceros got his Skin
How the Leopard got his Spots
The Elephant's Child (male elephant)
The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo
The Beginning of the Armadillos
The Cat that Walked by Himself
(plus all the original poems that follow the stories)

As near as I can tell, this book keeps the exact wording in the Rudyard Kipling stories (Best Beloved, 'Scruciating, 'Sclusively...)

This book is excellent for reading out loud, and the illustrations (each story by a different illustrator) are attention-getting. Share this book with your children - the stories of trickery and consequencesare great teaching tools.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Old School doesn't die February 10, 2007

By Lisa

Format:Hardcover

Still excellent as a reading time project. Both my son and daughter love the stories as much as I did as a child.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gotta Love Kipling August 10, 2009

By some mom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Our family has loved this book, the stories are, of course, wonderful - fun for parents to read and fun for kids to listen to. With at least one illustration per page and lots of full page illustrations, the pictures help keep our 3 year old's interest. And you wouldn't believe the vocabulary words a 3 year old can learn from great stories like these!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Just so Stories July 19, 2009

By Glena J. Dusky

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The collection of stories on how the world began is so good, that I bought three. One for my youngest child and one for each daughter to read to their children.
The rhythm of reading the stories aloud is wonderful, I even read one of the stories in my college speech class and when I looked up everyone was sitting there opened mouthed. My son is now twelve and he still loves reading these wonderful tales by Rudyard Kipling. Classic!