One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Amazon.com

Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson.

Book Description

A reward of one grain of rice doubles day by day into millions of grains of rice when a selfish raja is outwitted by a clever village girl.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for all ages, really!.......2006-12-29

I have purchased 5 copies of this book - one for my kids and the rest as gifts. I've also suggested it to others to give children as gifts. My older son is 2 1/2 years old and he enjoys this book. Certainly, I can expect an older child, around 5 or older, to get more of the mathematical detials from the book, but my son likes it too.

Instead of reading the numbers aloud, I show him that Rani shared the single grain of rice with this bird, 2 grains with that peacock.. the bagful of rice with the tiger... etc. He loves it. The illustrations are outstanding!! I always feel like I'm reading a book from the "royal" archives when I pick this up.

Enjoy!

A lot to learn, including girl-power.......2006-04-19

This is Demi's re-telling of an old folktale of a king who orders that all rice in his kingdom must be stored in the royal granaries so that there would be food in times of famine; but when his people start to go hungry, he refuses to open the granaries, claiming that the situation was not bad enough to warrant doing so - until a small child outsmarts him by asking for a grain of rice doubled every day for a month.

I love this book because there is a lot to be learned from it. Of course, there is the math: the concept of doubling and how quickly doubling makes the numbers grow. There is the art: lovely Indian-inspired illustrations with stunning gold effects. There are also moral lessons, namely that power can corrupt, and that even a small child can teach a mighty king.

Then, there is a special lesson for all little girls everywhere - that girls can do math. After all, the math-smart hero of the story is a little girl herself.

a tale to delight both young and old.......2005-11-02

My daughter is three and loves this book -- not just for the gorgeous fold-out illustrated spread of the caravan of elephants carrying the rice on the 30th day -- but because she can follow along with the story. The tale is of a rich greedy rajah who doesn't want to share, but is then outwitted by a young girl and forced to give up all the grain in his storehouses. At the end, he is humbled and vows to be a more fair and wise ruler. My daughter loves to sit with one grain of rice in her hand like Rani on the title page of the book. I can see her forming rudimentary mathematical concepts, but I won't push it. There's plenty of time to return to this book when we introduce the times tables.

The visual progression of the increasing volume of rice is shown by the variety of animals which deliver the daily ration. First, just a series of birds with grains of rice in their beaks. Then on to a leopard, a tiger, and a lion each carrying a small pouch in their mouths. By the sixteenth day, a goat is pulling a cart on which sits a bag of rice. On the twenty-fourth day, eight deer each bring her a basket strapped to their backs. And so on until the enormous procession of elephants! The last page of the book is a very useful table called "from one grain of rice to one billion" which shows the actual numerical progression. Demi outdid herself with this book, which any homeschooling family will find useful.

One grain of rice = many valuable lessons for students.......2005-08-29

One Grain of RIce is not only a book of math, it is also a folktale. It shows how rice can grow from one grain, to two grains,to four grains, to 8 grains to 16 grains and all the way up to a whole barn full of grain.
It also tells of how people were treated by the leaders of the country in which they lived. A very valuable lesson.

One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale.......2004-10-18

The story One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale, has a worthwhile theme, teaching morals and the importance of keeping one's promises. The book also touches on the need to plan for the future, as well as teaching a mathematical concept. The book tells the story of a village girl named Rani who outsmarts a raja; teaching him a valuable lesson in the process.
The illustrations are just as important as the text in telling and moving the story along. The drawings of Rani appear to move across the page--drawing the reader's eyes to follow her to the next page of the story. The book evokes the reader's curiosity and encourages him/her to predict the outcome of the story. The reader is touched on an emotional level with the introduction of the real-life situation of famine and one person's humanitarian solution to the problem.
From a mathematical viewpoint the story provides a base on which to build and expand one's knowledge of patterns and relationships; encouraging the use of algebraic thinking in order to solve the mathematical problem presented in the story. A problem I had with the story was that I felt the story was written at about a 1-4th grade level while the mathematical question it presented was more appropriate for a 6th grade classroom. The book dealt with this by including double-page fold outs that helped to illustrate to younger readers how the number of grains of rice were growing. My favorite aspect of the book was the use of the female character of Rani. The book showed that females are capable of understanding and in some cases outsmarting males when it comes to mathematical concepts and knowledge.
One Grain of Rice provides a multitude of opportunities for teachers and students to research and expand on details presented in the story. Students may want to explore the culture, art, and governments of other countries such as India. They may also want to learn about the different types of animals illustrated in the story, or discover where rice comes from and how it is grown. Teachers may want to expand the mathematical lesson further by giving his/her students the task of discovering how many people the rice Rani received as her reward would feed. The book One Grain of Rice A Mathematical Folktale would be a wonderful addition to any library or classroom.

Average customer rating:

little black sambo
Review of book purchase.
Important historically, but not delightful
Rembering the good old days
Noteworthy Because of its historical context

The Story of Little Black Sambo

Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0397300069

Book Description

The jolly and exciting tale of the little boy who lost his red coat and his blue trousers and his purple shoes but who was saved from the tigers to eat 169 pancakes for his supper, has been universally loved by generations of children. First written in 1899, the story has become a childhood classic and the authorized American edition with the original drawings by the author has sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Little Black Sambo is a book that speaks the common language of all nations, and has added more to the joy of little children than perhaps any other story. They love to hear it again and again; to read it to themselves; to act it out in their play.

Customer Reviews:

little black sambo.......2007-09-16

check book dimensions. I was surprised at the size. My mother read this book as a child and has always wanted a copy. I knew of the controversy but had never seen the book myself. After buying it I was eager to see what the fuss was about. I don't get! Apparently it is the pictures which were not done buy a professional(in 1899). As for the name sambo, it was turned into a slur by some bigot and probably would have happened with any name chosen. I'm sure many will be offended when I say "get over it" you brought more attention to this "offense" than it ever would have gotten otherwise. EVERYONE has had an unflattering portrayal at sometime. Let it go. I thought it was a cute story.

Review of book purchase........2007-09-10

I was very pleased with my purchase - prompt and efficient service, reasonable price. I was a little surprised that the book was "mini" size and wished that had been indicated; but I liked it nevertheless. I would definitely purchase again.

Important historically, but not delightful.......2007-04-26

To me, it is not a matter of being offended or not. But if you can read this without any discomfort you need to review your history. Of course kids can like it, but they like throwing rocks at ducks too. What is disturbing to me is how anyone can be nostalgic for a colonial past. Sambo is very lovable, but that is the point. It paid to maintain that the 'primitive' races were childlike, endearingly innocent. This idea of a paternalistic love actually supported Western dominance. They were the 'white man's burden,' permanently in childlike relation to the West, incapable of self rule or living in a modern world. In exchange for being guided to civilization, their natural resources could be had for the superior races. The childlike, innocent native is cut from the same cloth as the threatening cannibal, or the easily scared servant, or the lazy slave. All of these stories came out of that system of beliefs. This is not an Indian folk tale, however clever and tricky Sambo is. This is not, as one reviewer writes, "A loving attempt to reach across the racial divide." The historical record contradicts this reading. Read just a line or two from the official reports written by colonial administrators like Helen Bannerman's husband. This kind of nostalgia erases the history of colonial rule. Maintaining divisions between a ruling class (British) and a subaltern class (colonial subjects) was the whole point of colonialism, of which this tale is a product.You and your children may find this character cute and cuddly, but stop and think about that. So are puppies. It is quite possible to love your mammy or your servant, just as you love your dog. (The mother in this tale is a direct relation of Aunt Jemima and her pancake mix, introduced at the Chicago World's Fair just two years previously) Exactly WHO is nostalgic for this past? I understand how remembering black slaves and coolies as 'happy darkies' is a lot less painful than actually remembering the truth. This was not a simpler time but one in which brutal subordination of a people was sanctioned by the state. If you miss that 'simpler time' I hope you don't live next door to me. My children would not be safe.

Rembering the good old days.......2007-03-09

My wife and I had this book when we were children. We are now in our late 60s.And often talked about this book. Didn't know we could still buy them. This was a great little book.Think every one should read this book. keep up the good work. Thanks

Noteworthy Because of its historical context.......2007-03-05

I recall Little Black Sambo from my childhood as well. My Aunt worked as a domestic for a Jewish household and they would give her their children's discarded playthings to take to her nephews. Little Black Sambo was among the offerings. I remember reading with fascination the story of this child and I knew nothing at the time of its racist connotations. Unfortunately, despite the denial of some of the prior reviewers, it cannot be ignored that this book might be considered offensive to some. Just like the black lawn jockeys that were so popular at one time, and the Aunt Jemima pancake box before they took the bandana off of her head, these icons represent post cival rights era reality. I supppose some of you see nothing wrong with the Little Rascal character Farina with the rags tied in his head, or Buckweat either. I would not advocate banning any of the aforementioned symbols, because I think they should be cherished as a sign of just how far we've come. I have mammy salt and pepper shakers, cookie jars, etc., because as a Black man in America, I want to remember and cherish the past. If I find the version of this book I had as child in which Sambo was jet black with white eyes and huge red lips, I'd add it to my collection in a heartbeat!

The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining

Average customer rating:

Reliving the Past
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE
NO IDEA what they're saying
buy it and use it
An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom

The Foxfire Book: Hog Dressing, Log Cabin Building, Mountain Crafts and Foods, Planting by the Signs, Snake Lore, Hunting Tales, Faith Healing, Moonshining
Inc. Foxfire Fund
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Foxfire 2: Ghost Stories, Spring Wild Plant Foods, Spinning and Weaving, Midwifing, Burial Customs, Corn Shuckin's, Wagon Making and More Affairs of Plain Living
Foxfire 3 (Foxfire)
Foxfire 4 (Foxfire)
Foxfire 5 (Foxfire)
Foxfire 6 (Foxfire)

ASIN: 0385073534
Release Date: 1972-02-17

Book Description

In the late 1960s, Eliot Wigginton and his students created the magazine Foxfire in an effort to record and preserve the traditional folk culture of the Southern Appalachians. This is the original book compilation of Foxfire material which introduces Aunt Arie and her contemporaries and includes log cabin building, hog dressing, snake lore, mountain crafts and food, and "other affairs of plain living."

Customer Reviews:

Reliving the Past.......2007-09-04

If you are interested in learning how our forefathers lived without the modern day conveniences that we enjoy today, this book is a must read. You will learn how they survived without much income and you could learn something beneficial that you never knew.

PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS GENRE.......2007-03-26

The Foxfire books are a wonderful thing and we are so lucky to have them. Many of the ways, crafts, planting lore, animal lore, and as the book says "affairs of plain living" are preserved here. This particular volume includes different wood and it's uses, Mountain Recipes, Slaughtering Hogs, weather signs faith healing and so very, very much more. this is a wonderful recording of life the way it was and probably never will be again. The book is quite well written and has faithfully recorded even the dialect of these wonderful people, from which so many of us sprung. That is a big part of the charm of these works. This book includes actual interviews with folks from that region of the country which I am sure are long dead now. Their knowledge would be completely lost without works such as this. Another generation or two and it will all be completely gone. Thank goodness we have recordings such as this. Recommend this one highly.

NO IDEA what they're saying.......2007-01-18

I heard about this book and thought, "OH I'm from the South and this book will be lovely to read to find out about how things used to be." And I would probably have been right if I could have made out what they were talking about. The slang is much too thick for me. I'm not sure anyone could understand it except people who actually are from this region. Thumbs down for no translation.

buy it and use it.......2006-06-18

Don't get me wrong the entire series is amazing. Book one is the best and one of the more practical. The chapter on log cabin building was my inspiration to build my own cabin. At least 75% of the cabin was directions from this very book. Reading a Foxfire (any of them) does something to you that's hard to explain. I think of Foxfire books as almost a self-help guide that teaches you how to slow down for a minute. I recommend this book for anybody with high blood pressure or some kind of anxiety problem. It's therapeutic. These students met some really neat people of Appalachia. We can't let this way of life fade away as it almost has in my hometown, Knoxville.

An incredible resource of "oldtimer" wisdom.......2006-04-15

I've inherited the first seven, origional print books from my dad, and bought 8 and 9 for myself just a year ago, and I must say that I've always enjoyed reading these books. The people who contributed their knowledge & wisdom to these books are a resource that has largely been lost to us, and it's a shame that more of us don't realize the wisdom that is missing in this world with the deaths of these oldtimers (as the books were written in the 70's primarily).

I rate this book right up there with Carla Emery's books, as a great resource for folks trying to get back to a more self-sufficient way of life and providing for themselves, their families, and even friends & neighbours. These books definitely give a sense of old-fashioned camaraderie and willingness to help your neighbour in time of need (and in times of plenty).

Average customer rating:

Text shorter than the original book
Classic Book - You Should Own It
Jan Brett is a 5 star author!
The Mitten
marvelous!

The Mitten
Jan Brett
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Hat
Gingerbread Baby
The Snowy Day
Town Mouse, Country Mouse
Annie and the Wild Animals

ASIN: 039921920X

Amazon.com

A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that! What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox. If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway." When a tiny mouse squeezes in, her whiskers tickle the bear's nose. He sneezes, and "Aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!" all the animals fly out of their crocheted cave. As the mitten sails through the air, Nicki spots it, reclaims it, and takes it home to show his smiling Baba.

Jan Brett is the illustrator of many well-known folktales, fairy tales, and poems, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Owl and the Pussycat, by Edward Lear. Her special signature in her detailed artwork is the intricate borders, seen in this book as birch-bark panels with embroidered details and mitten-shaped vignettes offering additional insights into the story line. Brett is at her best when she illustrates animals, and the expressions on the faces of her creatures are a delight. She carefully researched the costumes, furniture, and house in this traditional Ukrainian tale--all are authentic. A fine story to read on a frosty night with a cup of hot chocolate, and if you ever get your fill of The Mitten, you can always try its delightfully original companion book, The Hat, winner of the 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. (Ages 4 to 8)

Customer Reviews:

Text shorter than the original book.......2007-09-07

I love this story and we have both the board book and longer, original version. The board book is good for younger kids, but simplifies the text. The story is still good, but I like the longer version better--a little more colorful.

Classic Book - You Should Own It.......2007-07-07

Love the story -- love the animals - love the illustrations. This is Jan Brett at her best and the book is a classic. A must for your holiday library.

Jan Brett is a 5 star author!.......2007-05-13

Like her other books, "The Mitten" is delightful. Jan Brett's illustrations are bright and captivating. The story is simply and engagingly told. All children love Jan Brett books.

The Mitten.......2007-04-04

If you enjoy books that are funny, short, and filled with illustrations of animals, then The Mitten, by Jan Brett, is the book for you. The Mitten is a short picture book about a boy, named Nicki, who loses his snow white mitten one day while playing out in the woods. When Nicki dropped the mitten, a mole came acorss it and decided that it looked like a warm and cozy place to sleep, so it went inside. Next, a rabbit came and decided to huddle in the mitten. Then, a badger came, and after the badger was five more animals. Eventually, after an , the mitten exploded! There is an unexpected ending, but this book will hold young readers' attention from the very beginnning.
The author definitely chose the right vocabulary and drawings for this book and age group. Jan Brett did an excellent job of portraying the sotry with her pictures. The simple vocabulary is perfect for children learning to read. "Once there was a boy named Nicki who wanted his new mittens made from wool as white as snow." This quote is a perfect example of the book's simple vocabulary.
This book is a great way for parents, gradnparents, or older siblings to bond with their children, grandchildren, or siblings. It's a cute and funny story that will make everyone laugh. "The force of the sneeze shot the mitten up into the sky, and scattered the animals in all directions."
Another reason that kids might enjoy The Mitten is because many kids can realte to the characters. They might not exactly be able to relate to the animals, but many kids will be able to relate to the adventurous Nicki. "So off Nicki went. And it wasn't long until one of his new mittens dropped in the snow and was left behind." Tons of children are like Nicki and are always losing things when they are having fun.
The Mitten is full of fun laughs that will be suspensful for young ones till the end. It's easy to read and enjoyable. So, if you are a young reader who enjoys a fun story and a good laugh, then this book is for you.

Sorry, but the computer deleted some of the words in the review. Sorry for the inconvenience.

marvelous!.......2007-03-13

a great book for teaching about sequence and the kids in my class loved the illustrations!

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest

Average customer rating:

Coyote wants to fly!
Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
A great book about a funny coyote!

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest
Gerald McDermott
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Papagayo: The Mischief Maker
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ASIN: 0152019588

Book Description

Wherever Coyote goes you can be sure he’ll find trouble. Now he wants to sing, dance, and fly like the crows, so he begs them to teach him how. The crows agree but soon tire of Coyote’s bragging and boasting. They decide to teach the great trickster a lesson. This time, Coyote has found real trouble!

Customer Reviews:

Coyote wants to fly!.......2006-10-21

My son ([...] years old) enjoys a lot this funny story about the silliness of the coyote and the tricky birds. We read it often and have a little song for the dancing of the craws.
The design makes it easy for children eyes to understand the story without words.
Another lovely book from Gerald McDermott, but not as good as Zomo The Rabbit or Papagayo. These are really great!!

Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest.......2006-01-15

This was a fair tale children seemed to follow the story better but did not want to hear this book again and again,I was disappointed.

A great book about a funny coyote!.......2000-03-30

I like it because when the Coyote meets some birds he wants to fly with, all the birds give him one of their right feathers, but he didn't balance. So they each gave him left feathers, but he still didn't balance. And the reason he didn't balance was because he needed one left feather and one right feather. - AMD, Age 7.

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (Oxford Story Collections)

Average customer rating:

Ultimate Fairy Tales
Appeals to all ages
Adventure & more!
You Won't Find Fairytales Any Better
WOW

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (Oxford Story Collections)
Geraldine McCaughrean
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights (Modern Library Classics)

ASIN: 0192750135

Book Description

King Shahryar kills a new wife every night, because he is afraid she will stop loving him. But his new bride Shahrazad has a clever plan to save herself. Her nightly stories--of Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba, and many other heroes and villains--are so engrossing that King Shahryar has to
postpone her execution again and again... This illustrated edition brings together all the Arabian Nights tales in an original retelling by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean.

(paperback reissue of ISBN 0-19-274500-X)

Customer Reviews:

Ultimate Fairy Tales.......2007-08-20

"Arabian Nights" is one of those works that everyone has heard of, but not many have actually read. Hence I decided to actually read it, instead of guessing the stories of Ali Baba or Abu Kasim. I am glad that I did.

"Arabian Nights" are well deserving their reputation as one of the best collections of fairy tales anywhere. Interwoven and connected by the young Queen wanting to stay alive, and managing to do so by telling her husband stories, the collection is amazing in language, style and sheer imagination.

Most stories take place in Baghdad, and instead of a war torn, news-exploited place, Baghdad became a place of magic and place of palaces and culture so deeply entrenched, that the entire world knows of them. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to go somewhere exotic and beautiful, even if it is just in thoughts. Great reading!

Appeals to all ages.......2007-07-23

My seventh grader is reading this book to my second grader. They are both loving it.

Adventure & more!.......2007-04-01

Arabian Nights - The classic Tales of Adventure, thrilling suspense, romance and more. These Indian, Arabian and Persian mix tales are ever enchanting tales and an interesting read. The school syllabus picks up the best of the best Arabian nights stories into the text lessons since many years, esp. Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Sindbad the Sailor and Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. All my fav stories but the most adventurous is Sindbad the Sailor. Why, I remember Pip the Sailor and of coz, Popeye but than, the classics are the ever best of the best on my book shelf. Even Ali Baba takes you on a dreamy path to being rich and Aladdin reminds of the Genie who obeys orders.

The tales are just poetic and take kids to a world of imagination. However, I guess if religion is pushed aside by avoiding repeat 'allah', I guess this book will be a great pick by all. However, kids are sure to love reading these lovely stories. A nice pick.

You Won't Find Fairytales Any Better.......2006-11-17

Words cannot describe the fantastic quality of this collection of Arabic literature. But don't get the book just to read the tale of Ala al-Din (Aladdin) and his Wonderful Lamp, because the other tales included surpass this merely moderate one by far - although it's interesting to find out that a black midget is Aladdin's primary nemesis (upon who Disney's Jafar is based, apparently).

The stories touch on such a wide variety of unusual topics: a man's visit to the kingdom of mermaids, a dead beggar getting tripped over again and again, a guy claiming to have several volcanoes in a portable bag, a Sultan's escape from a buffalo-faced woman in the presence of a group of pink ladies, and the marriage of a prince to a turtle. Insane stuff.

My favorite story is The Everlasting Shoes by far. It's quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever read. It's about an old miser who's so cheap he never buys new shoes. He just patches up the pair he has whenever they get holes. The addition of so many patches naturally make his shoes bigger and bigger. Eventually the shoes become ridiculously huge and heavy and smelly, and they make a lot of noise as the miser walks. The scene of the shoes being thrown into the river and getting caught in the millwork is well worth the price of the entire book.

There's a story in here that looks VERY much like a mid-east version of Cinderella. Quite interesting.

I am unable to tell how many liberties the author has taken in translating the tales, but they're definitely fun to read. There are tons of ancient day metaphors and funny insults like, "You flea on a cockroach's kneecap!" and "Son of a plank! Did you steal your brains from a table?" I really liked reading the misfortunes of the protagonist in the Keys of Destiny stories, and the nagging wives that appear sporadically are pretty darn funny.

The things I didn't like about this book were very few. Only its frequent mentioning of Allah and the puzzling weakness of its 998th and 999th stories about a flying toy horse.

I would recommend the Arabian Knights to anybody over the age of fifteen; probably because I was so surprised at the large amount of enjoyable humor.

WOW.......2004-06-21

Absolutely the best work of fiction EVER. Indeed, I too wish, that there were 1001 stories or even 1.000.001 ones inside this lovely book but all good things must come to an end.
Anyways, if you wander, why 1001 nights? - here's the answer.

Two brothers, both Kings, have both been victims of cheating wives. They both kill them and their lovers but later on, one of the brothers, King Shahryar can't stand the loneliness in the dark so he comes to a decision to marry a new wife fetched by his Counsellor, every night then kill her next day after because he believes that "All women are fickles" and that "None of them love their husbands for more then one day"...so he marries a new wife each night until the streets began to get emptied. Then, when 'no other girl' is left, Shahrazad, the eldest girl of the King's Counsellor, becomes his 1001-st wife. Unlike other wives, Shahrzad survives because...

Do not say you read books if you didn't read this one!

Highly recommended

A Tale of 12 Kitchens: Family Cooking in Four Countries
Average customer rating:

Inspiring

A Tale of 12 Kitchens: Family Cooking in Four Countries
Jake Tilson
Manufacturer: Artisan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution

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ASIN: 1579653200

Book Description

Reading this remarkable cookbook-cum-scrapbook by Jake Tilson is like encountering a wonderful friend you haven't seen in years, and setting off together on a culinary journey through four countries to cook and have myriad happy experiences, and meet scores of fascinating people along the way.

It might be a monk singing an awe-inspiring rendition of "Ave Maria" in a family-run restaurant in Cortona, Italy, or a master pancake flipper at a breakfast haven in New York City. Or a recipe for the divine gnocchi-like spinach dumplings served in Tuscany.

With eighty recipes that are far-ranging and delicious, you'll learn to make black beans the Dominican way, couscous in the Tunisian fashion, and burritos flavored with Mexican beer and a chipotle chile.

And as you cook your way through his book, you'll fall in love with Jake's artistic family and their obsession with cooking and eating. Great characters all and, like many of us, as likely to spend their vacations wandering food markets as museums, then returning home with overweight luggage crammed full of local foods.

Anyone who thinks twice about tossing out a food can with a great label, who treasures stubs and receipts from travel for the experiences they evoke, or who feels nostalgic for kitchens of the past, will find a kindred soul in these pages.

And if you're someone without an urge to collect, or who'd just as soon stay and cook closer to home, you will be every bit as delighted with this dazzling collection of recipes.

Tilson presents his recipes in a remarkably original way. Subtly embedded in his wonderful descriptions, in tales told in his very engaging prose, is the reminder that cooking, sharing and eating meals with family and friends is of utmost importance in our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring.......2007-02-20

When I purchased this book (online) I thought it would be a kind of Peter Mayle food-essay book. Warning: This book is Peter Mayle on steroids. And it is fabulous. What intriguing recipes! But this book is so much more than recipes. The writing is evocative and the stories transcend cultures. The art, of course, adds an interesting element. But my favorite images are the photos of real family kitchens, cluttered with real life and objects used to nourish a family.

Average customer rating:

give me a break!
Great story, but don't like second son message.
FAVORITE BOOK AS A CHILD
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Wonderful Book

Tikki Tikki Tembo (An Owlet Book)
Arlene Mosel
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805011668

Amazon.com

If you haven't already read Tikki Tikki Tembo, you've probably heard at least someone recite the deliriously long name of its protagonist: Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, by now a famous refrain in most nursery schools. In this beautiful edition--complete with line and wash illustrations by artist Blair Lent--Arlene Mosel retells an old Chinese folktale about how the people of China came to give their children short names after traditionally giving their "first and honored" sons grand, long names. Tikki tikki tembo (which means "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world") and his brother Chang (which means "little or nothing") get into trouble with a well, are saved by the Old Man with the Ladder, and change history while they're at it. Tikki Tikki Tembo is a perfect book to read aloud, but don't be surprised if you find yourself joining the ranks of its chanting followers. (Picture book)

Book Description

Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembochari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo!Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.

Customer Reviews:

give me a break!.......2007-06-29

just wanted to respond to the review trashing this book because it's not "culturally accurate." Come on - we're talking about a cute book with rhymes that little ones love. If you hold all toddler books to your standards, there wouldn't be many left to read. No Mother Goose Nursery Rymes or Brothers Grim Fairy Tales??? How sad!! Would you throw out the wonderful "Little Critter" books by Mercer Mayer because of outdated stereotypes of moms and dads? So what if you rarely see mom without her trusty apron on ... lighten up!!
and p.s. Instead of throwing this book out, I'm sure the local library would appreciate it, or a family whose friends' do not have the means to send books they can throw away!!

Great story, but don't like second son message........2007-06-27

I had this book as a child and loved it. Even as an adult I remembered the rhythm of, "Tiki Tiki Tembo no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo". So I bought it for my two boys, forgetting the whole story.

The general story is that second sons were regarded as worthless and thus given short names. The first born sons were practically royal in the family and given great longs names. This becomes problematic when the boys don't mind their mother and each have a turn at falling into the well and need to be rescued by the old man with the ladder. If the story left it at that it wouldn't be much, but throughout the story the mother is less adoring of her second son and more impatient with him. Having two boys, the youngest only 2, I don't like to read it to them very often. But they love the story too. It IS well written and lends itself to great dramatization by the reader.

My husband thinks I am over sensitive, perhaps you will too, but that is what I think. Something to consider if you have two boys. I would otherwise give this book 5 stars.

FAVORITE BOOK AS A CHILD.......2007-05-26

I didn't have many positive/exciting memories of books as a child, but for some reason, I never forgot this one. I could recite his name verbatim without flinching as long as I can remember. Both of my children loved this story, may its contents be true or false. We still say his name like singing a song, it's catchy and fun. If your looking for a lesson in chinese culture, not the book for you. If your looking to engage your child in silly names and creating a fun book memory, I suggest this book.

Tikki Tikki Tembo.......2007-05-09

My son loves this book. I would recommend it to anyone that has a child and likes silly words.

Wonderful Book.......2007-04-28

I bought this book for my sister to bring back memories of our childhood. We both loved this book as children and always seemed to be the only people who knew who Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo was. The book is beautifully illustated also. Just as I remembered it.

Average customer rating:

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
Stop and smell the roses...
creative, beautiful story
A Wonderful Journey
Good ole story

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs
Betty G. Birney
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416934898

Book Description

Life in Sassafras Springs has always been predictable, boring even, but one afternoon that changes when Eben McAllister's pa challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras that rival the real Seven Wonders of the World. The reward? An adventure that Eben's been craving -- a trip to Colorado.

Even doesn't think he'll have any luck -- he can't think of one single thing that could be considered wondrous in Sassafras -- but he's willing to try. Little does he know that the Wonders he'll discover among his neighbors, friends, relatives, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime...without ever leaving his home.

Customer Reviews:

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs .......2007-09-27

This book was easy to read and a great story. My mom and I read it together. We both enjoyed it.The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

Stop and smell the roses..........2007-01-10

Sometimes we get so caught up in doing things and going places, we forget about the things around us that are so important and beautiful! We forget to smell the roses. This book is so easy to read and you want to read it. I was intrigued by trying to figure out what he might find next. I loved this book!

creative, beautiful story.......2006-07-03

I am a third and fourth grade teacher. The librarian in our school highly recommended this book. I read it aloud to my third grade class of boys, and they were thoroughly intrigued by the book. There are several vignettes throughout the book, and each of these wonderful depections is written with breathtaking imagination. The characters and the storyline are well built. I would recommend this as an independent reading book for most fourth or fifth graders, and as a read aloud for third graders because it is written in an old-fashioned southern manner, which, in my opinion, is a bit difficult for most third graders to read fluidly by themselves.

A Wonderful Journey.......2006-06-30

This book takes you on a trip of discovering wonderful things around you. This is a great book for 5th graders and up. The message is awesome for all of us to remember. Everyday, we all see the wonders of the world.

Good ole story.......2006-04-19

This is a good, fun story of adventure. I enjoyed reading which wonders Eben might find. It's nice to be taken back to when kids could use their imagination and walk through-out their town, talking to people, discovering their environment and be safe doing so! This is a heart-warming, purposeful book.
Excellent tool for teaching!!

Average customer rating:

Alternative Cinderellas
Rhodopis of Antiquity
Ok, but not a hit with daughter
Unexpectedly Educational
egyptian cinderella

The Egyptian Cinderella
Shirley Climo
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064432793

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Alternative Cinderellas.......2007-10-01

What message does the Cinderella story convey to young girls? If you are concerned about the emphasis on beauty and passivity, try Cinderella stories from various cultures. After hearing this Egyptian Cinderella story from a library book, my granddaughter asked to have a copy for her own.

Rhodopis of Antiquity.......2007-06-29

This book is not "racist". The fairy tale is based upon the tale of "Rhodopis", Greek word for 'rosy cheek or sunburned', in antiquity. "Rhodopis" stories were popular Greek tales among ancient Greeks since the 6th century BC, told in different versions. A well told account in one of these older versions had her finance a pyramid in her honor, the Pyramid of Mycerinus or Menkera. Shirley Climo's version is based upon these versions of "Rhodopis", Strabo's "Rhodopis" is an archetypal Cinderella from the 1st century BC. He immortalized a woman by the same name in what historians consider the first "Cinderella" basing his story on both facts and fictions. The woman who's story is somewhat based upon was believed to be the beautiful Rhodopis born in Northern Greece, kidnapped by pirates, sold to a man on the island of Samos, a fellow slave, a homely little man called Aesop, used to tell her stories of animals. When she was grown the man in Samos sold the girl in Naucratis, bought by Charaxos in Egypt who spoiled her as if she was his own daughter giving presents of jewels and beautiful clothes, she later married a Pharaoh. She is of whom some Greeks believed the Pyramid of Mycerinus or Menkera were build by, while others dispute this. One thing can not be disputed is that by Strabo times and many centuries afterwards, "Rhodopis" was renowned through out ancient Greece and Rome for her beauty, promoting various different versions of "Rhodopis" stories. The wind according to Strabo takes away one of her rose red slippers, an eagle according to Aelian's version. It is a historical fact that a Greek maiden did marry Pharaoh Amasis (Dynasty XXVI, 570-536 BC), Amasis was actually the king's Greek name. His birth name was Ahmose II, who was of common origins. She was the princess Ladice, daughter of King Battus II from the Greek colony Cyrene. As to the comment regarding the inhabitants of ancient Egypt would have been of " African, Mediterranean, Semitic, or Arabic descent and dark-hued", true in most cases but not always true when it comes to Greeks, Romans or other Mediterranean people; yes some are of "dark hue" but some are also very fair and Greeks definitely are not "African, Semitic, or Arabic" in descent, especially Cleopatra and the Ptolemies, given their habit of inter marrying with one another. Plus many ancient writers make a point to describe Rhodopis as having fairer coloring and "different looking" from native Egyptians because Greeks, of whom Cleopatra and the Ptolemies descent from, were different looking and fairer in coloring from native Egyptians. The story has a Greek as the "heroine" because the audience of whom Strabo and most of these ancient authors were speaking to, including the Hellenistic Pharaohs of the Ptolemy Dynasty, were of Greek origins.

Ok, but not a hit with daughter.......2007-03-02

She's 7. She read it, but wasn't all that excited. Not anything like the original Cinderella story which threw her off.

Unexpectedly Educational.......2006-08-05

I had to read a version of the Egyptian story when I was in the 6th grade,I don't think it was this exact take on the tale, however I remember enjoying it very much--it opened me up to people across the world sharing the same story in different ways. Climo seems to have really zeroed in on that idea, with all of her various retellings of the Cinderella tale from all over the world.

As usual, her writing is great, it completely creates the characters and I really enjoyed reading the story. The illustrations are a little better that I thought them to be, upon thought. I feel the faces were not as nice as they could have been, nor the colors quite right. But I was amused by all of the characters always being drawn in profile as if they were Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In this story Cinderella is a slave girl who likes to dance, and who's master buys her special dancing shoes (this and her greek heritage) sets her apart from the local egyptian women.

I really was intrigued by the explaination that Climo gives at the end about this Cinderella and how she was actually a real person, it made me want to read up on her (Cinderella that is).

egyptian cinderella.......2005-08-06

I am delighted with the book. The pictures are gorgeous and the story is pretty too. The delivery was excellent, it arrived very fast.

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