tikki

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Retold by Arlene Mosel

Illustrated by Blaire Lent

tikki

Published in 1968 by Henry Holt and Company

Summary	Tikki Tikki Tembo is a folktale about two sons in China who get into trouble after disobeying their mother. To showcase his significance, the first born son was given the honorable name Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo while his younger brother was simply given the name Chang. Although their mother warned them not to play near the well, they did not heed her warning and as a result, one day Chang fell into the well. Calling on the help from the Old Man with the Ladder, Chang was able to be rescued. Unfortunately, the sons failed to learn their lesson and soon Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo soon found himself in the same predicament. However, when Chang ran to get help from the Old Man with the Ladder he became so winded from the repeated attempts at saying his brother's name that it resulted in Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo spending an even greater amount of time in the well which extended his recovery time. As a result of this incident, from that moment on parents in China made a point to give all their children equally short names.
Recommendation for Parents	Blair Lent's vivid and colorful illustrations help children of all cultural backgrounds visualize what life in China may have looked like. Although not all aspects of the folktale are entirely accurate, through Tikki Tikki Tembo children are exposed to different aspects of a lifestyle that they are most likely unfamiliar with, such as having to wash laundry in the river or celebrating the Moon Festival. As a way to serve dual purposes, parents not only can provide their child with an entertaining read aloud, but it can also provide a way for parents to interject a reminder about the importance of listening to rules and regulations for the sake of safety.
Recommendation for Teachers	Teachers can utilize this book to spread cultural awareness in the classroom and in establishing an environment inviting of diversity and differences. By introducing this book, it can create a jumping off point for other students in the classroom, especially the English language learners, to bring in books representative of their own culture to share with the rest of the class. Not only would the class benefit from learning more about different cultures but it would help with the inclusion of the English language learners as a valuable asset to the class as well as allowing the English language learners to be singled out in a positive way for their positive contribution. Earlier in the year, or with the addition of a new student, this book can be used to establish norms in the classroom. This book can help teachers examine the variability and complexities that exist just within names and the need for tolerance and acceptance regardless of language of origin, length or difficulty. Although unintention, whenever Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo is read, the tone taken closely resembles that of a song and after a while, it becomes almost second nature to sing the words following a melody. Following the same lines as the alphabet, students will clearly be able to understand the benefit of songs in making remember things such as a twelve part name easy to remember. By encouraging the application of this strategy to other aspects of the curriculum such as hard to spell words or procedures, students will be able to learn a technique that will help them with their current struggles as well as for obstacles encounter in the future.
Personal Note	Even after several years of not reading Tikki Tikki Tembo, upon seeing the book, a feeling of nostalgia instantly overwhelmed me. Before I knew it, that all too familiar melody entered my head- "Tikki tikki tembo...no sa rembo....chari bari ruchi....pip peri pembo." Long after the specific details and the moral of the story were forgotten, the memories associated with the story still remain. I distinctly remember sitting with my friends trying to see who could say Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo the most times, the fastest, without getting winded like Chang did in the story. This memory, a single snap shot of my childhood, will last forever. As an added benefit, the story itself happens to be a classic must-read with beautiful, vibrant illustrations.

Home