Kipling’s Just So Stories are among the most enduring classic children’s tales. They follow the traditional genre of stories that explain how unusual natural phenomenon came about, often using fantastic and highly magical explanations.
Kipling himself was born and spent his very early life in India, and some of the inspiration for these stories comes from traditional tales he heard from his ayah and the family’s other servants. So Kipling’s armadillo arises from the magical fusion of a hedgehog and a tortoise who practice swimming and curling up, respectively, until their shapes modify. The elephant’s trunk is the result of a tussle with a hungry crocodile, and the kangaroo’s shape and ability to jump came about when he was chased by a dingo for an entire day. The rhinoceros gets his loose skin and bad temper from the itching brought about by having cake crumbs under his hide. And the cat who walked by himself explains the independence of cats, which contrasts with the servility of other domesticated animals.
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"We read these as bed time stories and my kids were very good about getting into their beds and laying down so that I could read them a couple of stories. They are pretty short, so we would usually read 2-3 a night. We finished the book in about 5 days stretching it out. " — Tasha (4 out of 5 stars)
"We read these as bed time stories and my kids were very good about getting into their beds and laying down so that I could read them a couple of stories. They are pretty short, so we would usually read 2-3 a night. We finished the book in about 5 days stretching it out. "
" I read these to my children and we all enjoyed them. "
" This is a positively charming little book! The stories are told in such a childlike fashion yet use such a wide, cultured vocabulary and perfectly illustrate some of the deep truths of life in general. A must-read for all ages. "
" Starting to reread this one to my son as my dad read to me a few years back. "
" One of my favorites childhood book (and memories). "
" Whimsical, delightful. "The Cat Who Walked By Himself" remains a lifelong favorite. "
" I was glad to have finally read these. We read them to Anna. She enjoyed them, but the language was hard to understand at times and sometimes difficult to read aloud. I read that to hear Kipling tell them was much better than to read them. I imagine he was a great storyteller. "
" My absolute favourite childhood stories which I still love to this day. I can recite the beginning of the armadillos by heart! "
" I loved this book, I can't believe that I missed this one as a child. It is probably one of my favorite children's books of all time. "
" In third grade, my teacher read us 'The Elephant's Child' one day after recess. That night at dinner, I recited the entire thing to my parents. And so began my love for the Just So Stories (and the discovery of my freakishly good memory). "
" Very lovely fables with a refreshingly different(to the U.S. reader) vocabulary. Some were a lot of fun. Some were a little dull, but overall, a quaint, enjoyable read. "
" this is a fabulous book and I highly recommend it to everyone...this is one to keep on the bookshelf and to put in the purse when your traveling with kids....I simplify the language a little so my children listen to it... "
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) was born of English parents in Bombay, India. At seventeen, he began work as a journalist and over the next seven years established an international reputation with his stories and verses of Indian and army life, including such classics as The Jungle Book and Kim. In 1907 he became the first English writer to receive the Nobel Prize.
Cathy Dobson is the author of Planet Germany and a narrator of audiobooks.
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