A Children's Tale From Mongolia
Reading opens up the world, even for young children. Children ages 4-8 may read a tale from Mongolia in this lovely picture book, "Story of the Mongolian Tent House". Even for children, this book works on two levels. First, it introduces young readers to Mongolia, a land most children will find unfamiliar. Adults reading this book with children would do well to begin by pointing out this large, landlocked country on a map. Second, the book tells interlocking fables about the value of harmony and cooperation.
The book introduces Mongolia to its readers through its setting and its illustrations of sparsely populated steppes, mountains and valleys. It shows a land where many people are wanderers and herders. Children will benefit from seeing this culture, markedly different from their own.
The story itself is a fable which begins with the people and the animals of the earth separating and going their own ways when they found they could not get along in peace. A "wise old man" teaches his seven sons to build a dwelling, called a ger, and to "use as our model the earth itself." The ger is built for the family, but the wise old man soon dies. His sons begin to quarrel and each goes on his own path with near-disastrous results. The sons then relearn the value of cooperation and family. They work together to rebuild the ger which becomes for the Mongolian people a "symbol of friendship and harmony."
This book is based upon a story by the Mongolian author Dashdonog Jamba who dedicated his life to preserving Mongolia's folk heritage. He co-edited a book called "Mongolian Folktales" which is still in print. His story was retold by children's author Anne Pellowski and illustrated by Beatriz Vidal.
Wisdom Tales Press publishes children's books with spiritual and religious themes from many religious traditions and from places around the world. This is the first book I have seen with a setting in Mongolia, and it will appeal to parents and teachers wishing to broaden the reading experience of their young children. I was glad to read this delightful book and to learn a little about Mongolia. Wisdom Tales kindly provided me with a review copy.
Robin Friedman
