The monkey and the crocodile: A Jataka tale from India

The story is a classic Buddhist/Jataka tale; the illustrations are good; the crocodiles are delightfully scary; the monkey is clever and cool. Perfect for 2-6 year olds. One of the best versions of a Jataka story that I have seen on the English language book market.

That clever monkey has done it again. This book has pleasant illustrations and is a favorite of mine and my children.

I've repeatedly read this book to my three-year-old granddaughter since she was two. When she visits us, it's one of the first two books that she asks for. (The other is the Goblin Story from Else Holmelund Minarik's "Little Bear's Visit.") When she was two, she mainly liked the excitement of the "scary" crocodile. Now she enjoys the tricks that the crocodile and monkey play on each other. Also, this is a fun book to read aloud. You can easily add even more interest for your little one.

Jataka tales are similar but not identical in structure to the animal fables of the West. One difference is that the characters are less "black and white" - the crocodile is clever, the monkey is cleverer. Neither is foolish.Jataka tales are stories of previous births of the Buddha i.e. similar to the more complex avadanas that are translated from the Sanskrit or Tibetan traditions. While the children's books of them are fun and well worth reading, at some point reading a more comprehensive selection should be on the agenda. This book is just a fun introduction for a young child.

It's about a monkey who tries to get away from a very hungry crocodile and the monkey who lives in a mango tree. Read it! Christian, 8 years old