Saturday, October 22, 2016

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

The Jungle Book
Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Illustrator: Robert Ingpen           
Year: 2004 (original story 1894)
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Genre: Children’s Classic
Age: 8+

In this illustrated version of the classic story we get to relive the magic through beautiful color & black & white mixed media pictures. The book includes all 7 of the original stories & songs that accompany them.

Mogwli’s Brothers
Kaa’s Hunting
Tiger! Tiger!
The White Seal
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
Toomai of the Elephants
Her Majesty’s Servants

In the first story, Mogwli’s Brothers, we learn how Mogwli’s father was killed by Shere Khan. Mogwli who is a small naked child is taken in by the wolf pack under the watchful eye of Baloo the bear & Bagheera the black panther. Mogwli grows up with the pack learning all the necessary jungle skills & abiding by The Law of the Jungle. When he is older, Akela the leader becomes too weak to hunt and Mogwli stands up to the pack, and Shere Khan who want to kill Akela and select a new leader. In the end Akela is allowed to go free and Mogwli is going to see what life is like for men in the village. He vows to come back one day and kill Shere Khan and reunite with his wolf family.

In the second story, Kaa’s Hunting, Mogwli is taken by the monkeys that they call the Bandar-log. He has been taught by Baloo that they are trouble and do not follow The Law of the Jungle. Mogwli is taken to their home, the Cold Lairs, an abandoned Indian ruin. Baloo & Bagherra seek out help from Kaa the snake. The Bandar-log fear Kaa more than any other animal in the jungle. The trio go to the Cold Lairs and are able to save Mogwli and escape.

In the third story, Tiger! Tiger!, the tale of Mogwli and Shere Khan comes to an end. Mogwli goes to the man village after the confrontation with Shere Khan & the pack at Council Rock. He is taken in by a woman claiming to be his mother and given a job as a buffalo herder. He spends several months in the village working & learning their ways & language. Meanwhile Shere Khan terrorizes the jungle and soon the pair come to the fight they have been waiting for. Mogwli uses the buffalo & the wolves to take down the tiger & take his skin as a prize. He ultimately returns to Council Rock & joins his pack once more.

The last story I read from this collection was Rikki-Tikki-Tavi which I didn’t know was part of The Jungle Book. It was as to be expected from the movie, the classic story of the snake & the mongoose battling to the death!
Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen

Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen

Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen

Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen

Image result for the jungle book illustrated robert ingpen

Likes: The pictures in this book are BEAUTIFUL! I’ll attach some below for you to see. If there wasn’t any pictures I don’t think I’d be able to enjoy this book as much.
I kind of already knew the story from the movies over the years, but I was pleasantly surprised by the changes.

Dislikes: I know this is a children’s book but the writing is a little bit hard to read. I’m not sure a child would be able to enjoy this on their own, they would have to have someone reading it to them to explain it.

Book to Movie Differences
This is a comparison between the book & the newest movie (2016)

In the book Mogwli can’t speak any English at all, if he is talking it’s told through his animal noise dialogue or his thoughts.

Also in the book Shere Khan is trampled by buffalo not killed by fire.

Finally in the book Akela isn’t killed by the tiger he is allowed to leave & live his life in peace. But he does make an appearance for the final takedown.

In the movie Mogwli is dressed where in the book he is naked, the reason for this is very obvious!

Also in the movie Mogwli does not spend time in the man village, he just goes there for fire.

The Peace Rock is unique to the newest movie, there is nothing like it in the book.


The final difference between the movie & the book is how Mogwli comes to the pack. Baloo & Bagherra speak up for him & are his guardians in the book. But in the movie Bagherra finds him & brings him to the pack. 

Rating: 

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