Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (Hardcover)

by Rudyard Kipling (Author), Lambert Davis (Illustrator) "THIS is the story of the great war that Rikki-tikki-tavi fought single-handed, through the bathrooms of the big bungalow in Segowlee cantonment..." (more)
Key Phrases: rubbish heap

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
With this newly illustrated edition of the treasured classic--written in the 1890s as part of the Jungle Books --readers can once again be captivated by the tale of a mongoose who is taken in by a family of British colonials living in India. Although a few Victorianisms in the text will need to be explained to young readers, the story has held up remarkably well over a century's time. Rikki's fight to defend his family from the menacing cobras Nag and Nagaina remains as suspenseful and emotive as ever. The creatures of the Indian garden come truly alive in Kipling's expert prose--the birds sing out messages of joy and warning; the cobra rears and spreads his sinister hood; the brave mongoose leaps and springs, victorious at last. In Davis's ( The Jolly Mon ; Trouble Dolls ) acrylic paintings, dominated by the greens of the garden and the browns of the earth, readers can clearly see the nut-colored mongoose, his adoptive family in their period dress and the slithering snakes. However, the artist's style and chosen medium produce a somewhat flat, torpid appearance. Razor-sharp writing with rather dull artistic accompaniment. Ages 6-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- One of the most beloved of Kipling's tales, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi tells how a young mongoose outwits the deadly snakes that menace his new family. The epic narrative style accords near-heroic status to Rikki, and he is anthropomorphized enough to be lovable without falling prey to Disneyish cuteness. The humans see him as loyal, clever, fearless, and persistent; but readers will understand that his exploits result from his instincts and nature (and luck) as much as from his ``character.'' Davis's acrylic paintings, on every facing page, depict a suitable 1890s Indian bungalow setting. But the palette is heavy on boring tan, lime, and puce, and the perspective is sometimes awkward; Rikki seems to change size from page to page; and the stiff poses and smooth forms of humans and animals make them look more stuffed than alive. Sadly, this is a so-so edition of a ``Just So'' story. --Patricia Dooley, University of Washington, Seattle
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 44 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152670157
• ISBN-13: 978-0152670153
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #350,209 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't pick this edition, February 17, 2002

By A Customer

Rudyard Kipling's story is as wonderful here as it always is, but the artwork is this edition by Lambert Davis is muted, static, and downright boring. There's no sense of motion or emotion in the art, even for the action scenes. The birds aren't bad but the snakes and the mammals look more like plastic models than real animals -- especially Rikki. A real disappointment, especially for those raised on the Rikki video.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A young reader's must have, February 27, 2006

By	C. Moss (Georgia) - See all my reviews

I loved this story as a child, and recently bought this for my daughter. It's been tough getting her to sleep since we began reading this together.