Customer Reviews

The Monkey and the Crocodile: A Jataka Tale from India

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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Jataka tales are similar but not identical in structure to the animal fables of the West. One difference is that the characters are less "black and white" - the crocodile is clever, the monkey is cleverer. Neither is foolish.

Jataka tales are stories of previous births of the Buddha i.e. similar to the more complex avadanas that are translated from the Sanskrit or Tibetan traditions. While the children's books of them are fun and well worth reading, at some point reading a more comprehensive selection should be on the agenda. This book is just a fun introduction for a young child.

It's about a monkey who tries to get away from a very hungry crocodile and the monkey who lives in a mango tree. Read it! Christian, 8 years old

The story is a classic Buddhist/Jataka tale; the illustrations are good; the crocodiles are delightfully scary; the monkey is clever and cool. Perfect for 2-6 year olds. One of the best versions of a Jataka story that I have seen on the English language book market.

You may have heard this story at some point in your past and you have merely forgotten it. For me, reading "The Monkey and the Crocodile" was particularly eerie. I felt as if I had read this story in some slightly altered form not too long ago. It was only when I recalled that this tale is told in Katherine Paterson's, "Of Nightingales That Weep", that I realized where I'd heard it before. Truth be told, the tale is much older than even that. Based on a Jataka tale from India, the story is (according to its Library of Congress heading), "A retelling of one of the Indian fables relating to the former births of Buddha in which as a monkey he manages to outwit the crocodile who decides to capture him". No real mention of Buddha is made in this story, however, so it is left up to the reader to make such a connection on his or her own.

When a crafty crocodile sets his sights on a tasty monkey in the trees, he tries a variety of methods to eat the furry primate. Each time, however, the cheeky monkey finds a way to get around being eaten. In the end, the crocodile admits defeat. "Monkey, I thought I was cunning, but you are much more cunning than I. And you know no fear. I will leave you alone after this". The monkey accepts the crocodile's compliment but makes it quite clear that he will be watching out for the crocodile anyway. The story, being a classic, is good. Unfortunately, Paul Galdone's illustrations do not live up to the tale. Though the crocodiles are particularly fun to look at, the monkeys are not very well drawn. You can feel a threat emanating from the pictures of the slick green reptiles, whereas the monkeys are rather cartoonish and sloppily illustrated. While a good story, a better illustrator could take this tale to an entirely different level. On the whole, it's a pity the book hasn't better pictures. But for an excellent collection of mean looking crocs, go no further than this.

That clever monkey has done it again. This book has pleasant illustrations and is a favorite of mine and my children.