Flashback Friday: Rikki Tikki Tavi

I think we'll start a new series here on The Book Children. There are so many great classics and otherwise unknown or forgotten books written many moons ago. Each Friday, we'll feature one of those oldie-but-goodie books here on Flashback Friday.

I admit to never having heard the story of Rikki Tikki Tavi before about 18 months ago. I happened to be hunting through Audible.com for inexpensive classics for my audiobook-loving kids. I found Rikki Tikki Tavi for less than a buck and decided to buy it. Apparently that was a wise decision; they've listened to it approximately 39,837 times since then.

Rikki Tikki Tavi is the thrilling adventure of a brave mongoose who defends his human family from the garden cobras. The language in this story beautifully rolls off the tongue, just begging to be read aloud. Rikki Tikki prevents the garden cobras from harming the family he lives with in the jungles of India. Aside from a few harrowing scenes of animal violence (the mongoose kills cobra eggs, agitating the mother cobra, and the human child is threatened by one of the cobras), the tale superbly depicts loyalty, courage, and bravery while accurately portraying animal behaviors and the wilds of India.

In addition to the paperback version offered at The Book Children Store, you can purchase a Kindle version for free or an Audible (mp3) version for less than $2.