Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-These retellings provide just the right balance of print and illustration, and repetitive texts make them good choices for fairly proficient readers. Life lessons are woven into the narratives and illustrations, providing good material for discussions. In Tiger, a merchant on his way to market happens upon a tiger stuck in a pit. He stops and rescues the animal, only to have it threaten to eat him in return for his kindness. An argument ensues over the repayment of good deeds with bad ones and the fairness of life in general. An ox, a tree, and finally a hare are called in to settle the disagreement, and the tale comes to a humorous and satisfying ending. In Tortoise's Gift, the animals are trying to survive a terrible drought. One by one, they go to the mountain for the magic word to make a tree grow fruit. Pride, forgetfulness, and distraction prevent them from remembering the magic word necessary to achieve the desired results. Finally, the slow and steady tortoise saves the day.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Does one good turn deserve another? A merchant stops to free a tiger stuck in a hole by lowering a tree trunk to it, and what does he get for his trouble? A growl and a show of sharp teeth from the hungry tiger, who is planning to make a meal of him! Taken aback, the merchant protests that this is not fair. At first, the tiger says, "I don't want to be fair. I only want to be full!" But he finally agrees to a test, if only to quiet the merchant down so he can be eaten up. Colorful, energetic acrylics work together with the carefully selected vocabulary, lucid text and generous repetition to make this Korean folk tale a strong choice for early readers. In the end, the deciding vote is left to a hare, who seems confused by the quandary and asks that the two show him what happened, so the tiger gets back in the hole. The hare advises the merchant to leave immediately, and as to whether a good deed should follow a good deed, the hare says, "That all depends on who you help!" Young readers will be drawn in by the measured suspense and leave with a chuckle. An excellent addition to both the folk tale genre and the early-reader shelf. (Folk tale/early reader. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
