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The Jungle Book Review

This is a review I previously wrote for four books in the Whole Story Series (Call of the Wild, The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, and Around the World in Eighty Days). I hope someone finds this helpful in their decision to purchase these books. :)

This is a wonderful series for children (and adults) who value learning through literature--especially classic literature. What makes it even more appealing to parents and educators is the way the publishers have integrated historically relevant facts with the complete, unabridged text. Each classic branches over several areas of learning--history, culture, geography, customs, animal life, architecture, literature, and science.

The Call of the Wild includes sidebars, maps, photographs, line drawings, diagrams, and paintings describing the Gold Rush, Klondike region, transcontinental railroad, sledding, traveling routes, harsh conditions, animal life, tools and procedures used for mining gold, and more.

The Jungle Book provides details about India, animal life, religious landmarks and architecture, culture and customs. It also includes two-page features on wolf children, the seal massacre, and a photo spread of India.

Around the World in Eighty Days takes the reader across a geographical journey using various forms of transportation. Maps, illustrations, and photographs provide rich detail into the culture and landmarks of many different locales and the means of transportation used in each leg of the journey.

Treasure Island provides abundant information on ocean-related topics--sailors, pirates, treasure chests, ocean voyages, living conditions, crimes and punishment, weaponry, traditions, slavery, animal and plant life, medicine and disease, and more. It includes two- or three-page spreads featuring ocean charts, navigational instruments, compasses, types of ships, a cut-out diagram of a ship's compartments, sails, rigging, ropework, points of sail, and famous pirates.

These books inspire an integrated approach to learning and would make a wonderful addition to your home library.

The Jungle Book Overview

The only authorized movie tie-in for the hit movie of the 1994 holiday season. Kipling's The Jungle Book, starring Jason Scott Lee, Sam Neill, and John Cleese, is sure to be the blockbuster movie of the season. It has already been featured on Entertainment Tonight and will have major publicity and promotion surrounding its release. 8 pages of photos.

The Jungle Book Specifications

No child should be allowed to grow up without reading The Jungle Books. Published in 1894 and 1895, the stories crackle with as much life and intensity as ever. Rudyard Kipling pours fuel on childhood fantasies with his tales of Mowgli, lost in the jungles of India as a child and adopted into a family of wolves. Mowgli is brought up on a diet of Jungle Law, loyalty, and fresh meat from the kill. Regular adventures with his friends and enemies among the Jungle-People--cobras, panthers, bears, and tigers--hone this man-cub's strength and cleverness and whet every reader's imagination. Mowgli's story is interspersed with other tales of the jungle, such as "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," lending depth and diversity to our understanding of Kipling's India. In much the same way Mowgli is carried away by the Bandar-log monkeys, young readers will be caught up by the stories, swinging from page to page, breathless, thrilled, and terrified. (Ages 9 to 12)

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Customer Reviews

Excellent audio production of a classic - Christopher E. Behr - Midwest, USA
This review focuses on the audio production of the first Jungle Book as read by Flo Gibson. I've read many of these stories to my daughter, so I know the difficulty of catching Kipling's rhythm and phrasing. Flo Gibson does an excellent job, with clear diction, well paced delivery and competent "acting" of the various characters. She pronounces the character's names as attributed to Kipling in the notes of my faithful Penguin edition. Even then, my 10 year old daughter had difficulty with some of the phrasing, and we paused the CD's as we drove across the country to discuss and clarify. However, I attribute this difficulty to the richness of Kipling's text, which my daughter is not used to - yet.

In short, Flo Gibson uses her talents to deliver Kipling's wonderful stories. I recommend this unabridged audio edition.

The classic still holds water. - M. Hall - Los Angeles
The Jungle Book is a commendable work of fiction. The characters, while somewhat static, are endearing. I recommend those that enjoy The Jungle Book to read Gaiman's The Graveyard Book as well, in order to explore the intricacies of how Gaiman's novel is based off of Kipling's.

The magic is alive in these tales of the Jungle - Ravenskya -
No this is not your Disney movie - Kipling wrote a fantastic series of short stories, only a few of which include Mowgli. Baloo is not a lazy idiot, Kaa is not a bad guy, SherKahn is killed rather then run off, the wolves are not always the noble good guys... this is VERY different then our cotton candy Disney film. And so much more enjoyable for it.

Also included are the tales of Rikki Tikki Tavi, the Elephant Dance, and the White Seal. I would have to say that my favorite is Rikki Tikki Tavi, he's just so loveable and wonderful. There is a sense of magic in Kiplings animals, every reader will find themselves dreaming of being raised by wolves and taught the law of the jungle by Baloo.

I know that this was written as a children's book - but I have a hard time believing that my 11 year old son would be able to read and enjoy it, the beauty of the language will be lost on many of the younger readers who are used to the forward speaking newer YA books. But I would assume that by middle school they should be able to fully enjoy it.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 25, 2010 18:49:05

Children's Books

Wednesday, August 25, 2010