About Arlene Mosel
Arlene Mosel (1921–1996) first heard the story of Tikki Tikki
Tembo as a child. When she grew up, she shared this wonderful tale with
countless children, including her own. Because so many young listeners
responded enthusiastically, she decided to write her own retelling, and Tikki Tikki Tembo
became her first book for children. The book was named an American
Library Association Notable Book and won the Boston Globe-Horn Book
Award. In 1997, the New York Times named it one of the best fifty children’s books of the previous fifty years. Mosel was also the author of The Funny Little Woman,
which won the 1973 Caldecott Medal for Blair Lent’s illustrations and
was recognized as an Honor Book by the Hans Christian Andersen
International Children’s Book Awards. Mosel was an associate professor
of library science at Case Western Reserve University.