Never Trust a Tiger: A Story from Korea

PreS-Gr 3—These retellings provide just the right balance of print and illustration, and repetitive texts make them good choices for fairly proficient readers. Life lessons are woven into the narratives and illustrations, providing good material for discussions. In Tiger, a merchant on his way to market happens upon a tiger stuck in a pit. He stops and rescues the animal, only to have it threaten to eat him in return for his kindness. An argument ensues over the repayment of good deeds with bad ones and the fairness of life in general. An ox, a tree, and finally a hare are called in to settle the disagreement, and the tale comes to a humorous and satisfying ending. In Tortoise's Gift, the animals are trying to survive a terrible drought. One by one, they go to the mountain for the magic word to make a tree grow fruit. Pride, forgetfulness, and distraction prevent them from remembering the magic word necessary to achieve the desired results. Finally, the slow and steady tortoise saves the day.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN