It is my impression that today the JUST SO STORIES do not enjoy the popularity with children (and parents) that they once had. That may be because they are occasionally "politically incorrect" in their depiction of historical attitudes regarding race and culture. Joel Chandler Harris's UNCLE REMUS stories and even Mark Twain's HUCKLEBERRY FINN are sometimes removed from local library shelves on the same basis. In this reviewer's view, inattention to the works of Kipling and Harris and Twain deprives English-speaking children of some appreciation of the culture and civilization in which they live today. Worse yet, it deprives them of the fun of reading FOR fun.

Rudyard Kipling, referred to by one reviewer here as "not a very good writer" was the first English writer to win the Nobel Prize (not the Pulitzer) for literature, in 1907. He was staunchly pro-Empire in an era in which Great Britain not only ruled the waves, but a third of the globe -- the sun never set, it was said, on the British Empire, of which he sang in hundreds of poems and short stories and novels which also deserve reading today.

But imperial/colonialist notes are hard to hear in the JUST SO STORIES, which Kipling wrote for the amusement of a young niece. The stories are meant for FUN, and all children deserve to have some. Get this book; read it yourself if you haven't already -- and then read it to the youngsters for whom Kipling intended it.

62 of 64 found the following review helpful:

Charming stories with a charming presentation.Jul 08, 2004
By Gwyn Gwyrdd "geek"
I recently purchased this set on cd with a gift certificate for my young daughter. The price tag may have put me off at any other time, but since I was getting it with a certificate, I went for it. I read these stories cover to cover repeatedly as a little girl and took great delight in the hilarity of the answers to such questions as "how did the leopard get his spots?" or "how did the camel get his hump?" Kipling's stories are marvelously nonsensical - which makes them fit for a child's world. However, it was not until hearing them read aloud on this very set that I realized his rhyme and use of repetitive words or phrases is very similar to our modern master of children's literature: Dr. Seuss. It would not surprise me to find that Seuss took his inspiration from the works of Kipling. This is not striking to a reader, but as you listen to his words brought to life by the human voice it is hard to miss.

Geoffrey Palmer, of As Time Goes By, is one of my favorite actors. His voice and interpretation of these beautiful stories enhances the experience so much that I was laughing out loud listening to him in my car. His dry sense of humor is felt in his characterizations of the cast and the lulling of his voice lends a calming, gentle, and sophisticated quality to the text. I now can simply not imagine these stories being read by anybody else.

Finally, the classical musical selection is superb and adds an intelligent whimsiness to the piece. I would highly recommend this set as a lovely gift for any child you find "tenacious and full of segacity". What a delightful alternative to the screech of today's cartoons and children's "pop" albums full of Britney Spears remakes.

43 of 45 found the following review helpful:

Politically incorrect? - your children can handle it.Sep 25, 2001
By W. Weinstein "William Weinstein"
Kipling�s classic volume of stories concerns the great questions of history; How the Whale got his Throat, How the Camel got his Hump, How the Alphabet was Made and many other thorny dilemmas. The language is sophisticated yet often whimsical and children love to hear the words read aloud. It is tempting to scan ahead and change things, substitute more contemporary phrases for the old but, if you can, resist the urge. Kipling was a master of the language. His writing is balanced and fluid and while it may seem dated when taken piece by piece, its sum is far greater than its parts. Read The Cat that Walked by Himself and you will never look at your own pet in quite the same way again.

21 of 21 found the following review helpful:

Mostly there, but missing thingsMar 20, 2010
By Lodrelhai
Being a free Kindle edition, I was expecting that the drawings and their attached descriptions would be missing. What I was not expecting was for the little poems often found in the stories to also be missing. Things like the Sloka the Parsee sings after the Rhinoceros eats his cake, that are usually block-quoted and italicized in published versions, are not included. The stories can certainly be followed without them, but as the text that IS there specifically says a little poem or song is going to be related to the reader, the gaps are quite obvious.

24 of 26 found the following review helpful:

Written for His own Best Beloved DaughterMay 02, 2001
By Plume45 "kitka12345"
Considered aloof and even irascible by reporters and adoring fans, Rudyard Kipling was admittedly a private person. Despite his reputation as a recluse during his four-year Vermont sojourn, he was genuinely fond of children. With paternal tenderness and pride he wrote this anthology of 12 unrelated tales for the amusement and enlightenment of his oldest, American-born daughter. A hint of their sacred relationship is revealed in "How the First Letter was Written" and "How the Alphabet was Made," wherein readers savor the loving bonds between cavegirl, Taffy, and her devoted father, Tegumi.

Many serious critics refuse to consider this collection of animal fables--which satirize human vices and foibles--as true literature, unworthy of adult time or mental effort to be appreciated. Nevertheless, it takes a different arsenal of literary skills to write well for children, who demand more action and clever dialogue; they expect to be hooked right away into whatever plot. It takes an agile mind plus a youthful heart to hold kids' attention over thousands of words and several pages--even with illustrations by the multi-talented author. (Seek those editions which offer the additional lure of Kipling's own pen and ink sketches.)

Don't be swayed by any rhetoric you may have heard about Kipling's so-called Politics, either. His social opinions frequently are blown out of proportion or taken out of context. In any case they are irrelevant to the intent of his anthology. Other than a few socially-incorrect phrases, JUST SO STORIES proves an excellent chapter-by-chapter bedtime book, especially for parents under fire to answer the inevitable questions which explain why a particular animal looks or acts the way it does. The author has bravely tackled that problem--taking adults off the inevitable Why hook. Using his palette of unlimited vocabulary, Kipling creates his own imaginative, drole and delightful expressions. Even if as adults we find his linguistic patchwork difficult to understand at times, most children will enter the word game eagerly. JUST SO STORIES offers a cute read for all YAHOOS--those who are truly Young At Heart or Otherwise!

See all 91 customer reviews on Amazon.com