Gather kids, it’s story time! Seriously, gather your kids if you have them, as this post is for the little ones and the little ones at heart. It’s a treasured childhood book of mine and I found a you tube reading of it to share with you which (again, with the peeing in the pants) brightened my day so much so that I now need to wear shades.
This book is called tikki tikki tembo, and the story is set in ancient China. It’s written by Arlene Mosel and illustrated by Blair Lent.
I adore this book, although my 30 year old copy is in Sydney, I can still bring it to you right here, thanks to technology. It is this book that first captured my imagination and sent my heart wandering East. It was through my constant yearning to learn more and more about China that I soon learnt about Tibet. I was devastated to realise that right at that moment, a country and people I cherished were destroying and torturing it’s neighbour and themselves. My wandering heart bled. That was about ten years ago. and at that time I was at Uni studying art, so I went to a Chinese calligraphist in Sydney who taught me the Chinese character for ‘love with suffering’, I was told it is a character used often. I still continue to use this symbol in my art.
But as some of you may know, thanks to all of us pressuring to bring this situation to the headlines and hearts of thousands, Tibet and China are talking right now. This is positive.
My post about my Tibetan friend Tenpa gathered some great and controversial comments, check them out here. And as I mentioned in my last comment on that post, I will not only be showcasing Tibet on my blog, but everything that is connected with it, and that includes China. So why not start with Tikki Tembo! It begins a little something like this…
The illustrations captured my imagination as a little girl. When Mum read me the book I was instantly taken to the little house at the top of the hill, or resting with the old man and his ladder.
And it is now one of my niece and nephew’s favourite as I have been reading it to them since they were toddlers. Their faces beam when they hear me say tikki’s name and they join in with pure delight.
I highly recommend you buy a copy as the printed version is definately the best. But for those who just can’t wait, here is the very awesome retro video reading. Make yourself a tea, take a break and a deep breath. And enjoy…
And just for laughs, here is a chipmunk version of tikki’s name!
Oh. I love this book- was a big part of my childhood.
May 6th, 2008 | #
OHHHH!!! I adore this book and this post. I love your way of sharing your passions, and how you combine children’s books with very mature subject matter (Tibet). I am a teacher and I read this book to the delight of my students more than once every year. I have loved this book for three decades now. Thanks for the memory. Oh, another book I loved from about the same time period was the fable of the Seven Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Wiese. Do you know it? If you check it out, be sure to read this version. I don’t think the others are nearly as delightful. Thanks again for the lovely post.
May 6th, 2008 | #
Oh but you don’t need to have kids to buy children’s books… I love the one you feature on this post and will buy it for myself!
May 6th, 2008 | #
I didn’t know this book. Thanks for sharing this.
May 7th, 2008 | #
OH, thank you so much for this post. I saw the first picture at the top of your post, and called my sister to right away to start reciting Tikki Tikki’s whole name and we finished it together… my mum used to read us that almost every night… we never got tired of that story or the illustrations… and we all said his whole name together every time she read it (and we made her read it to us long after we could read ourselves)… thank you SO much for that memory. Now I need to see if my mum still had that book…
May 7th, 2008 | #
Thanks Pia! My veiled memories of tikki-tikki are starting to come back more and more vividly!
May 7th, 2008 | #
Pia, a few weeks back I came across this book again in one of my boxes, I would like to say from my childhood days but that would be a lie(I had bought it again in my early twenties)anyways, I sat on the floor and read it, it is amazing how the imagination has you lost in the book but when you read it again later on in life like I did, the memory of the first time you read it comes rushing in- and that is what so beautiful about a story. Pia the amazing thing about a book read whether someone reads it to you or you read it yourself, it is the one possession that can never be taken away from you once confined to memory- I think about the conflict in places like Tibet, Darfur and even here in america-my hope is that every child has a story stored in there memory…
I am sorry for the long comment. Pia it is a pleasure to be able to visit your blog daily.
May 7th, 2008 | #
I love this! You are such a dear, Pia.
May 7th, 2008 | #
ooo, i’ve missed your blog this past week due to a hectic schedule…so glad i’ve checked in as i love your sentiment and childhood story. am not familiar with the tikki book but agree that storytelling and illustrations create such deeply nostalgic roots. what wonderful memories, i’ll have to acquaint myself with it! and i do look forward to your posting on tibet/china. it is refreshing and insightful to learn more from a perspective other than the news media. and i am convicted to the idea that all things intertwine, you cannot have art and design without culture and politics.
love the props/ceramics below too! gorgeous, understated, sublime. thank you.
May 8th, 2008 | #
Thank you so much for sharing this treasure. My memories of books from my childhood are one of my very favorite things to remember!
May 8th, 2008 | #
Great post. I ADORED this book as a little girl. I, too, have had an endless fascination with China. Though, my fix has been the Cultural Revolution. Thanks to your post, I’ve realized that this book was probably the nut that started my interest in the East. Thanks!
May 8th, 2008 | #
Thanks for the reminder: This was one of my very favorite stories as a child!! It’s not only a cool story, but wonderful to read aloud, with the sing-song rhythms and repetition. I’m going to buy a copy for my favorite 2-year-old and my expectant sister.
May 8th, 2008 | #
Oh! I adore this book! I’m quite amused that I was able to remember all of his name 🙂 Thank you for putting it up.
May 9th, 2008 | #
I love this book too. I gave it to my son for Christmas and have enjoyed re-reading it as an adult. The illustrations are beautiful
May 15th, 2008 | #