Tikki Tikki Tembo [Hardcover]

Arlene Mosel (Author), Blair Lent (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1968 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 1090L (What's this?)

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-
chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!

Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

Tikki Tikki Tembo is the winner of the 1968 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Picture Books.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you haven't already read Tikki Tikki Tembo, you've probably heard at least someone recite the deliriously long name of its protagonist: Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, by now a famous refrain in most nursery schools. In this beautiful edition--complete with line and wash illustrations by artist Blair Lent--Arlene Mosel retells an old Chinese folktale about how the people of China came to give their children short names after traditionally giving their "first and honored" sons grand, long names. Tikki tikki tembo (which means "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world") and his brother Chang (which means "little or nothing") get into trouble with a well, are saved by the Old Man with the Ladder, and change history while they're at it. Tikki Tikki Tembo is a perfect book to read aloud, but don't be surprised if you find yourself joining the ranks of its chanting followers. (Picture book)

From Publishers Weekly

In this folktale, help is slow in coming when a Chinese boy falls into a well, since the boy's long and difficult name must be pronounced in full. Beautifully expressive drawings enhance the book's Oriental feel. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 44 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 12th Edition (1968) edition (March 15, 1968)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805006621
• ISBN-13: 978-0805006629
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (206 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Asia
  • #14 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perpetual favorite in our elementary school May 31, 2000

By Volkert Volkersz

Format:Paperback

Tikki Tikki Tembo is a perpetual favorite read-aloud book in our elementary school library and works well all the way up to third or fourth grade. Today I got it out to read to a first grade class that incidentally had heard it yesterday from their classroom teacher. After I offered to read something else by the same author, they begged me to read Tikki Tikki Tembo to them again. Students love to chant Tikki's long name each time they hear it.

Whether or not this is an authentic Chinese folktale, it is a humorous attention-getter that still has a good moral to it. It does provide an opportunity to point out how Chinese names are usually shorter than Japanese names, something most kids in our school would not be aware of.

What amazes me is that in this age of fancy graphics students still are drawn to these simple illustrations.

A recommended read-aloud!

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Reading Aloud or Retelling November 29, 1999

By Dwain Preston

Format:Paperback

"Tikki" is over thirty years old, and still going strong. I am a storyteller, and I love to retell the story of the little boy with the outlandishly long name (giving full credit to Arlene Mosel, of course!). Having learned Chinese, and spent some time in China, I do not try to pass it off as an authentic Chinese folktale. Mosel wrote it to have fun, and those of us who read and tell the story must do it in the same vein. Knowing that I am an old man and that my mental faculties may be fading a bit, my granddaughter, upon hearing me tell it for the first time, asked, "Grandpa, how long did it take you to learn to say that name?" I told her several days of practice (not mentioning that a class of first graders could probably do it in two tries!). Three cheers for Arlene Mosel! God willing, the electronic world will not have completely eradicated the printed word, and Tikki Tikki Tembo will be still be around at the turn of the next millenium!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgic Fun! October 15, 2005

By Darren

Format:Hardcover

After recently finding a copy of this childhood treasure in my attic, I was reminded of how much I loved having this story read to me as a child.

This book was read to me over 30 years ago. Ironically, I was even able to recite Tikki's entire full name without having to peer inside the book. Talk about lasting impressions!

This is a great classic for parents to read to their young children and there is something very warm and appealing about about the story, and the simple illustrations that will captivate your child's heart.

It's refreshing to see that this enjoyable book is still available and being read to children.