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Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India: 03/03/16
Gerald McDermott has made a career of retelling folk tales for children, especially trickster tales. Trickster tales usually involve an animal pulling a trick as an explanation for why things are such a way in the world. In the case of Monkey: A Trickster Tale from India by Gerald McDermott, it's the story of Monkey who outwits Crocodile. Crocodile wants to eat Monkey's heart and Monkey wants to get across the river to get to the mangoes. The book is a meeting of the wits. But Monkey's just a little quicker on this toes than Crocodile. This moment can be used to introduce children to the terms: predator and carnivore. McDermott's illustrations show a Valentine shaped heart instead of a real one, so it's not that realistic, violent or gory. But it does give necessary motivation for Monkey to play his own tricks on Crocodile. Five stars Comments (0) |