I had such high hopes for this book, which was recommended to me by a few friends and is often on "Best of" lists of children's books. So I was so disappointed to discover that, while beautifully-illustrated and no doubt well-intentioned, this book is basically racist gobbledygook. It's a hodgepodge of random "Asian-ish" ideas, images and words (and some not even remotely Asian, like Tikki's name) that appear to have been thrown together by an unthinking person who is pretty ignorant of both Chinese and Japanese cultures. It would be like opening up Strega Nona to find all the characters dressed in traditional Irish clothing, with random German names thrown in. We live in a city with many different Asian communities, so I want my son to learn about *actual* Chinese and Japanese culture and folktales -- and there are luckily now so many good books that do that! Sadly, this is not one of them. It's a shame, because the illustrations are lovely and the story & rhyming name is fun. I wish the author had just said it was some made-up land, rather than claiming this as even remotely Chinese. It's an embarrassing book that (I hope) would never be published as-is today.
I particularly liked this thoughtful essay about the book by Irene Rideout https://www.facebook.com/notes/irene-rideout/rethinking-tikki-tikki-tembo/10150659315478292
If this is a book you truly love and/or are thinking about teaching to children as an example of Chinese culture, then please consider reading this essay that may help you put it into context: http://wannabwestern.hubpages.com/hub/Tikki-Tikki-Tembo-by-Arlene-Mosel
This quote from Rideout's piece particularly resonated with me: "When I read online forumsand discussions
about the potentially offensive nature of Tikki Tikki Tembo, I am disappointed because so frequently the responses are dismissive. People say, "Oh, lighten up, it's just a fun story for kids." There is, of course, a difference between INTENT and IMPACT. I feel pretty confident in surmising that the author and illustrator of Tikki Tikki Tembo did not set out to offend anyone. In fact, the INTENT may even have been to honor the Chinese culture by sharing a charming story of their understanding of China. But the IMPACT is that an entire culture is misrepresented, and it is not unreasonable that people within the misrepresented culture might feel offended. It's understandable that some people may have happy and fond childhood memories of this book, but their positive experiences with this book does not make other people's negative experiences any less valid."
I particularly liked this thoughtful essay about the book by Irene Rideout https://www.facebook.com/notes/irene-rideout/rethinking-tikki-tikki-tembo/10150659315478292
If this is a book you truly love and/or are thinking about teaching to children as an example of Chinese culture, then please consider reading this essay that may help you put it into context: http://wannabwestern.hubpages.com/hub/Tikki-Tikki-Tembo-by-Arlene-Mosel
This quote from Rideout's piece particularly resonated with me: "When I read online forumsand discussions
about the potentially offensive nature of Tikki Tikki Tembo, I am disappointed because so frequently the responses are dismissive. People say, "Oh, lighten up, it's just a fun story for kids." There is, of course, a difference between INTENT and IMPACT. I feel pretty confident in surmising that the author and illustrator of Tikki Tikki Tembo did not set out to offend anyone. In fact, the INTENT may even have been to honor the Chinese culture by sharing a charming story of their understanding of China. But the IMPACT is that an entire culture is misrepresented, and it is not unreasonable that people within the misrepresented culture might feel offended. It's understandable that some people may have happy and fond childhood memories of this book, but their positive experiences with this book does not make other people's negative experiences any less valid."
