I mulled over the idea of calling up the school principal and just letting him know that the story isn't exactly culturally sensitive. I hold my daughter's school system in very high regard, and from the beginning, I had to assume that the teachers and administration - not a single person of color among them! - simply did not know about the racist perceptions of this popular tale. I do think the use of the word "unintentional" is important. The message about Chinese names is less than flattering." The text and illustrations, however, are inaccurate depictions of any Chinese.
A book that is often recommended (see Huck, Hepler, & Hickman, 1987) is Tikki Tikki Tembo (Mosel, 1968). "Teachers who want to share other cultures may unintentionally choose books that are racist or not representative of a particular group. The Multiculturalist, a publication by Northern Illinois University, warns that, contrary to common misconception, not all children's books about other cultures are authentic.( mct/newsletter/2009-2010/vol3_ num1.pdf) On page 4, the article states: 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." ( Tembo-Arlene-Mosel/dp/ 0312367481/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8& qid=1332508100&sr=8-1)
"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. She looked me in the eye and said, "It's racist." I had never heard those words before, so I asked her, "What does that mean?" The quiet seriousness of her response struck me. A Chinese-American friend was talking about the way other kids chanted "Tikki Tikki Tembo" around her. My first encounter with Tikki Tikki Tembo occurred around middle school.
And to tell you the truth, I felt uneasy. "In music class, at school," she replied. When I overheard my half-Chinese/half-Caucasian 6-year-old daughter singing the name a couple months ago, I had to ask her where she learned it. org/product.cfm?product_id= 26879&StepNum=1&award=aw) The Fall 2009 Audio Book version was Parents' Choice Approved by the Parents' Choice Foundation.In 2007, the book was #53 on the National Education Association's Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children.In 1997, the New York Times named it "one of the 50 best books in the last 50 years." ( / article/CA6634456.html?desc= topstory).In 1968, it won the Boston Globe - Horn Book Award for Picture Books.I think it's good food for thought:Īs a child, did you love Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel? Did you find the absurdly long name "Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo" intoxicatingly fun to chant or sing? First published in 1968, the book has won some honors: With Irene's permission, I've republished her blog post here (her blog is private) for people to read. When I read it, I suddenly thought, Oh that's why I felt weird! So, when a friend of mine, recently sent me this blog post written by Irene Rideout, a lightbulb went on. They had all worked hard on it and I was very grateful for the warm welcome the school gave me, yet deep down I felt a strange awkwardness that I couldn't put my finger on. The kids were absolutely great, the teachers were quite lovely and the play was really well done. Once, I visited a school where the kids put on a play of Tikki Tikki Tembo, in my honor.
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