Synopsis
This audio book is a collection of 12 stories and 12 poems involving cats and dogs, kangaroos and tortoises, hedgehogs and jaguars, whales and leopards, and many other beings which are brought to life in an exotic Eastern landscape of 'high and far times ago.' Drawn from the enchanting tales told to Kipling as a child in India, 'Just So Stories' sires the magic of the dawn of the world, when animals could talk and think like people.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6 Of all of the many past illustrators of Kipling's stories, only Kipling himself, in the first edition (Doubleday, 1902; o.p.), captured the Oriental tone of these stories. This ``more-than-oriental-splendour'' comes through in Salter's attractive edition. She has done a full-color, full-page illustration for each of the 12 stories, along with decorations for each title page. The illustrations are bold and stylized with a strong use of color, all set within richly patterned borders. They have a strong sense of Indian folk art, particularly in the gold, browns, wines, blues, and blacks that she uses. These are the sort of illustrations that draw readers in to study each detail. They form the framework for an attractive, well-laid-out format. This newest Just So Stories should serve as a fine introduction for another generation of Best Beloveds to this standard children's classic. Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library