Book 11 Tikki Tikki Tembo

Title: Tikki Tikki Tembo     

Author: Arlene Mosel, Blair Lent (Illustrator)   

Year Published:  2007

Ages: 4-8 years old

Why I chose this book:  The name Tikki Tikki Tembo has been stuck in my head for 23 years now.  Thank goodness that Google was able to guess at my spelling so that I could find the book.   As I was in 2^nd grade when I first learned his full name, my rendition turned into an interesting chant “Tikki Tikki Tembo no serembo sorry lorry (skip a word) pip-perry pembo.“  Thank goodness I have been corrected, because that sounded ridiculous…. Tikki Tikki Tembo, No Sa Rembo, Chari Bari Ruchi, Pip Peri Pembo. 

Reaction: Who would name their child Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sa Rembo, Chari Bari Ruchi, Pip Peri Pembo?   My imagination runs away with this scenario and I’m visioning a poor little kindergartener trying to remember how to write his name.  This story happens to be the story of how the Chinese came to give their newborns shorter name.  Form follows function. 

I would paire this book up with The Name Jar and have my students talk about differences in cultures, especially differences in names.  We could make comparisons and notice differences.  For example Pierre, Peter, Pedro.