tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post3822496158562608413..comments2023-08-10T01:09:49.154-07:00Comments on Saints and Spinners: Thinking about alternativesSaints and Spinnershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08532215042953620628noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-51333890202970824522007-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:002007-08-10T13:56:00.000-07:00You know, I had never heard Tikki Tikki Tembo? I h...You know, I had never heard Tikki Tikki Tembo? I had heard the camp song about Eddie (remembered in a slightly different version). But when I read this post, I thought, "But that doesn't even make any sense as Chinese. Chinese given names are usually two syllables, and 'tikki' and 'tembo' don't sound like Chinese words."<BR/><BR/>I am such a stickler for linguistics.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547702089102195894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-38669586103691931692007-08-03T13:12:00.000-07:002007-08-03T13:12:00.000-07:00I have stopped reading Tikki Tikkit and the Seven ...I have stopped reading Tikki Tikkit and the Seven Chinese brothers. There are plenty of alternatives now adays. I think it's good to be discerning.Andromeda Jazmonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12355192738014962965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-90479673922926797332007-08-03T08:39:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:39:00.000-07:00LSM: It's all about the wheat from the chaff, eh? ...LSM: It's all about the wheat from the chaff, eh? It's just when the chaff is so overwhelming that I'm tempted to toss it all out.<BR/><BR/>Schelle: I know the Big Bird song, but not the Triantiwontigongolope... time for more research, I see.<BR/><BR/>Diana: I saw "Sixteen Candles" for the first time as a tv movie. Yes, I was shocked, too. I'm incredulous that moviemakers got away with this as late as the mid-eighties, when we were supposed to be soooo progressive.Saints and Spinnershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733517166056974501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-5714096197968968842007-08-03T08:08:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:08:00.000-07:00I love the rhythmic recitation of the name as well...I love the rhythmic recitation of the name as well, but I do not like to think of an Asian child in my classroom hearing the story, either. It is so important to be careful and so hard to find ways to preserve the good and jettison the bad. There are so many things that went right over my head (consciously) as a kid that brought me up short when I was reading well-loved tales to the Lone Star Girl. Like the racism of C.S. Lewis in my beloved Narnia stories...what the hell was that about? One of the foremost Christian essayists of his time? Eek! Often, I just skipped over and changed words as I read, but I always feel funny doing that, too. I am so glad you are taking on this issue, Alkelda. It is so important and complicated.Lone Star Mahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14339475499304565638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-5037477571898919082007-08-03T07:56:00.000-07:002007-08-03T07:56:00.000-07:00lol... by no means saying I disagree with you abou...lol... by no means saying I disagree with you about the stereotypes... I guess I just have a soft spot for Tikki - not having read the actual story for maybe 25 years, but still repeating his name at least once a year to see if I can remember it (I do) :P kind of like my affection for the Triantiwontigongolope.... or Big Bird singing ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (pronounced as one word...)Mythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03243071725565727650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-1811812210556804312007-08-02T23:29:00.000-07:002007-08-02T23:29:00.000-07:00I don't think I am the most "sensitive to others" ...I don't think I am the most "sensitive to others" person in the world, but I have read Little Black Sambo and really was shocked...and at the Golly dolls in some of my older books I have collected. I am glad to know my kids are bewildered at these Golly dolls and didn't know exactly what they were. Thank goodness things change... I remember how much I thought I enjoyed the movie 16 Candles, which was very popular when I was 15. I rented it for old times sake and I could not believe the racism in that movie...pathetic. This passed me over completely when I was a kid.xxxxxxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08568937298222307017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-4237841719161507442007-08-02T09:10:00.000-07:002007-08-02T09:10:00.000-07:00Minh Le: Arrrgggh! There's just no winning, is the...<B>Minh Le</B>: Arrrgggh! There's just no winning, is there? I'm glad to have "Catalina Magdalena" as an alternative, at least. <BR/><BR/>I keep thinking of the person who came up to a colleague of mine after an Anansi story and complained that her story was prejudiced against bald people. Yes, Anansi the spider is bald.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad to hear you're making progress with that B7! I'm still struggling with the barred B minor.Saints and Spinnershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733517166056974501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-82598244252042585562007-08-02T08:14:00.000-07:002007-08-02T08:14:00.000-07:00This is an interesting debate, and definitely a tr...This is an interesting debate, and definitely a tricky one... especially since I loved the 5 Chinese Brothers story when I was a kid! <BR/><BR/>I have to say though, since the illustrations are very intentionally Asian in style, I would be wary of retelling Tikki Tikki Tembo on Mars... it's already confusing enough as a kid to hear people referred to as "illegal aliens", so I would be afraid to add to that.<BR/><BR/>-minh<BR/><BR/>p.s. I'm making progress with the B7!Minhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16924511554130447743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-11423790378009365752007-07-31T19:08:00.000-07:002007-07-31T19:08:00.000-07:00The first-ever picture book carnival is up on my b...The first-ever picture book carnival is up on my blog, http://mentortexts.blogspot.com/2007/07/first-ever-picture-book-carnival.html. Thank you for participating! Please consider submitting a picture book for the next one I'm hosting on back-to-school books at: http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_2189.html<BR/><BR/>Cheers!Stacey Shubitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17903206728640184043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-40027609141242899292007-07-31T10:23:00.000-07:002007-07-31T10:23:00.000-07:00Fortunately, there are alternatives for Little Bla...Fortunately, there are alternatives for Little Black Sambo:<BR/><BR/>The Story of Little Babaji, illustrated by Fred Marcellino<BR/><BR/>Sam and the Tigers, by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry PinkneySaints and Spinnershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733517166056974501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-77843478722181898332007-07-31T09:47:00.000-07:002007-07-31T09:47:00.000-07:00I'm not sayin it's a great idea to be deliberately...I'm not sayin it's a great idea to be deliberately planting bees under folks' bonnets every day, but I am certainly more entertained and more likely to keep comin back when folks are brave and honest enough to write about topics that aren't "safe." <BR/><BR/>My three daughters are recent immigrants from Sudan and there are many stories I don't really care if they NEVER hear while they're still children, including Little Black Sambo, and The Heart of Darkness. And, frankly, I wouldn't be sad to see them "retired" from children's libraries and schools.AMY Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02452785773591343577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11123046.post-88854955791757777732007-07-31T09:38:00.000-07:002007-07-31T09:38:00.000-07:00I remember my grandmother telling me stories of Br...I remember my grandmother telling me stories of Brer Rabbit and the Tarbaby when I was very small. I now understand that the Tarbaby story was incredibly racist, at least the way it was told to me. It hurts me to know that my grandparents were <I>always</I> incredibly racist, and blaming it on their heritage (you know, growing up in "the deep south" and all that crap) is still no excuse. I agree that there are <I>some</I> stories that should be, perhaps, "reformulated".Hazedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00993258575129632255noreply@blogger.com