Arlene Mosel (1921-1996)'s debut children's book, Tikki Tikki Tembo, was an American Library Association Notable Book and won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In 1997, The New York Times named it one of the best 50 children's books of the previous 50 years. Mosel also wrote The Funny Little Woman, an Honor Book for the Hans Christian Andersen International Children's Book Awards.

Blair Lent (1930-2009) received the Caldecott Medal for The Funny Little Woman, and three Caldecott Honors. He is the illustrator of Ms. Mosel's Tikki Tikki Tembo, a bestseller since its publication in 1968, and Bruce Goldstone's The Beastly Feast.

"Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo is the full name of the firstborn son in the Chinese family of this story. As the firstborn's, his name must be spoken completely and reverently. This old folktale of what happens when the boy falls into a well and his younger brother attempts to get help is nicely retold and should make excellent read-aloud material....Bright, active, and delightfully expressive." --School Library Journal

"On spacious, uncluttered pages the artist has extended the story with wonderfully droll ink-and-wash drawings that combine imaginative beauty with a true Chinese spirit." --The Horn Book

"Just right for storytelling and tongue-twisting repeating, and . . . for reading aloud." --Kirkus Reviews