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*Kali and the Rat Snake* by Zai Whitaker, illustrated by Srividya Natarajan
Kali and the Rat Snake
by Zai Whitaker, illustrated by Srividya Natarajan
Grades 1-3 32 pages Kane Miller September 2006 Hardcover    

Kali is an Irula and the son of his village’s best snakecatchera, two things that make him proud. But at school, those distinctions only make him different. His classmates look down on him; even worse, his teacher looks down on him, too, treating him with patronizing favoritism. Unsure of how to erase his differences, he tries to hide from his classmates instead - until the Rat Snake comes to school, and Kali has to stand out in a new way.

Kali and the Rat Snake is a fascinating book, its story a simple, sweet reminder of the universal truth that what makes a person different is what makes them special. Children will sympathize with Kali’s sense of isolation, and cheer outcome of the story. Adults will find much more of interest here than in most books for the under-eight crowd.

By setting the story in India with no apologies or attempts to Americanize the environment, Zai Whitaker provides an intriguing look into a distinct culture. The “words to discover” - Irula, idli, sarai pambu - should set any curious child or sensible adult looking for more information than the quick interior definitions. The change from the standard generic America-ville classroom highlights issues often easy to ignore in the usual self-respect narrative: the origin of class prejudices, the effect of the teacher on the situation, the divisions between a child’s world at home and school.

Sridiya Natarajan’s illustrations of Kali’s world are colorful without being fantastical and add a visual warmth to Whitaker’s tale. Bright, cheerful, and thought-provoking, Kali and the Rat Snake is a child’s book that should last the adult almost as long as it does the child, and how often does that happen?
 


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