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Summary
Summary
Jan Brett reimagines a powerful Middle Eastern folk tale that celebrates hard work and appreciating your roots.
Set in India, this gorgeous reimagining of the classic Middle Eastern folk tale "Abu Kassem's Slippers" features a poor tiger cub who is a very hard worker. His mother weaves him slippers to protect his feet from stones and thorns, and they allowed him to prosper--first making bricks, then building houses, and eventually becoming very wealthy. He continues to wear them until someone questions why such a prominent person would wear such worn shoes. Feeling embarrassed, Tiger tries to get rid of the slippers, but fate keeps bringing them back.
Finally, Tiger sends them to his uncle, who weeps with pride when he sees the slippers his sister made and his nephew used to accomplish so much. He sets off right away to visit them, bringing the slippers along. Tiger can't believe the slippers are back again, but his little cub gives him an idea- honor the slippers by building a special place for them, to remind him of how far he's come.
Jan Brett's lush, vibrant version of this story will inspire fans of her international retellings to appreciate the hard work that leads to all of their successes.
Author Notes
Bestselling children's book author and illustrator Jan Brett was born on December 1, 1949. She decided to be an illustrator when she was a child and is known for her detailed and carefully-researched work.
Brett grew up in New England and attended the Boston Museum School. Her books have received much acclaim by publications including Newsweek, The New Yorker, Parents magazine, Redbook, and Publishers Weekly. In 2005 Brett earned the Boston Public Library's Lifetime Achievement Award. Her book Three Little Dassies was published in 2010 and made the New York Times bestseller list. Other of her works that have made the New York Times best seller list are: Home for Christmas 2011, Mossy 2012, Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella., 2014 The Animal's Santa.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2--Brett's latest foray into the world of folklore has readers following a self-made tiger and the slippers that he reverently displays. Though worn and old, the red embroidered slippers were a gift from his mother when they were poor. As the young cub built his wealth, the footwear endured throughout his labors. But after attaining new status, others questioned their appropriateness. Time and time again, he tried to throw them away, and yet, they always came back. Eventually, thanks to his son, who narrates the enveloping narrative, the tiger realizes the inherent lesson in this. You can't throw away your past. That self may no longer be who you are, but it is a part of you, which should be treasured. Brett's retelling of the Persian tale, "Abu Kassem's Slippers," doesn't strictly adhere to the most recognized version, especially in terms of the character. Additionally, this one specifically sets itself in a Mughal court. The lavish textiles and swooping architecture of ancient India look fantastic in this illustrator's finely drawn style. As usual, readers will find a world full of geographically relevant animals living their lives within her triptychs. VERDICT Brett continues to be one of the most revered retellers of classic tales. An automatic purchase for most libraries.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In a graphically sumptuous tale, Brett (The Mitten) puts her own creative hallmark on a Persian folktale, "Abu Kassem's Slippers." The mother of a bighearted Bengal tiger stitches him a pair of slippers to spare his feet as he works tirelessly around their makeshift home under a banyan tree. Her pledge that the shoes "will protect and guide you" proves true: while wearing them, the tiger spies a bank of white clay, which he molds into bricks to build a house for his mother, later making his fortune constructing clay structures "all over the land," including a beautiful edifice for his future bride. Brett's understated narrative belies the opulence of her watercolor and gouache paintings, which feature detailed images of elegantly clad animals, lush vegetation, and the tiger's arresting architecture (including the diminutive tabernacle he builds as a final resting spot for his enchanted slippers). Gemstones and intricate patterns adorn Brett's signature sidebar art and borders, capping off this visual extravaganza, whose pièce de résistance is a peacock fanning dazzling plumage. A richly imagined tale of love, diligence, and kindness rewarded. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
Kirkus Review
A retelling of a Persian folktale substituting tigers for people.A tiger cub lives in a stately home built by its father. In the center of the vast gardens there is a fountain that, to the surprise of the tiger cub's friends, contains a pair of worn-out slippers. When the cub's friends ask why the slippers are there, the tiger's father explains that when he was younger, he and his mother were impoverished. His motherthe tiger cub's grandmothermade the slippers for him as an act of love. As the tiger grew older, wealthier, and more successful, he was repeatedly told that his worn, old slippers were not appropriate for his new station in life. Although he agreed, no matter how many times he tried to get rid of his slippers, they always managed to find a way back to him. Eventually, the tiger's uncle helps him find a way to keep his slippersand his memories of his pastwithout sacrificing his future. Done in Brett's signature, paneled style, the book's illustrations, while vibrant, read more like Western picture-book illustrations than the Mughal miniature style the author claims as her inspiration. Furthermore, although they are beautifully detailed, at times, the number of panels makes the pages feel crowded. The text is well paced, but Brett's choice to retell the folktale using animals instead of people comes across as exoticizing at a time when the current Indian government is systematically erasing Muslim, particularly Mughal, history.It's pretty, but it falls far short of authenticity. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.