Tikki Tikki Tembo

Chang or Tikki Tikki Tembo-No Sa Rembo-Chari Bari Ruchi-Pip Peri Pembo--which name would you want to articulate if you needed to report a terrible accident? In Arlene Mosel's beloved retelling, two Chinese brothers find their mother's warning to stay away from the well difficult to heed and suffer the ignominious fate of falling into its depths. Each brother, in turn, finds a way to warn his mother and rouse the old man with the ladder. Dion Graham narrates with firmness and a reverence for the esteemed elder characters. His pace is deliberate and plays to the listener's anticipation. Graham takes delight in the repetitive phrases: "my first and honored son, heir of all I possess," the "step over step" of the old man, to say nothing of Tikki Tikki Tembo's multi-syllabic name. Acquaint or reacquaint yourself with this satisfying tale. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

Marcia Gay Harden's reading will remind the parents of young listeners why Arlene Mosel's book has entertained since 1968. The engaging, instructive tale explains why the Chinese give their children short names. When the honored older son of a Chinese mother falls into the well, his younger brother, Chang, runs for help. But the older brother almost drowns because Chang has a hard time repeating his name: Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo. The Asian music (complete with a gong to note page changes) and sounds of splashes create an almost-visual ambiance. In the forefront are Marcia Gay Harden's spot-on characterizations and her wonderful playfulness with the drama of Tikki's ever-so-long name. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine