The Magic Crocodile and Other Folktales from Indonesia - Hardcover

Alice M. Terada

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0824816544 ISBN 13: 9780824816544

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press, 1994

Synopsis

Hundreds of language and cultural groups, each with its own myths and legends, make Indonesia a rich source of stories. Selected to give young readers an understanding of the Indonesian people through their folklore, 29 tales reveal the islands from Sumatra to Irian.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Once, the Dayaks say, there was only the sky and space. Not even earth or sea was there. One day, a spider on its silken string dropped from the sky ever so slowly, spinning its web as it descended into the emptiness. It hung there, swinging, the only living thing in space. Then a red stone fell from the sky and was caught in the web. This red coral stone grew and spread until it filled the space beneath the sky and formed a mat like a floor". And so the land of the Dayaks, a people of Borneo, emerged. This myth is one of several creation stories included in Alice Terada's collection of folktales from the islands of Indonesia. Hundreds of language and cultural groups, each with its own myths and legends, make Indonesia an unusually rich source of stories. Selected to give young readers an understanding of the Indonesian people through their folklore, twenty-nine tales reveal the islands from west to east - from the cunning of the moon in "One Sun", a legend from Sumatra, to the kindness and wisdom of Watuwe, "The Magic Crocodile" of ancient Irian. The notes following each folktale explain the beliefs and customs mentioned in the story.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-10-These 29 tales, with an extensive listing of sources, stand as an authoritative collection of Indonesian folklore. Traveling from west to east, readers encounter stories first from Sumatra, then Java, Bali, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of Borneo), Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara, and finally Irian Jaya (the Indonesian half of New Guinea). There are creation and pourquoi tales, stories of miraculous births, a tale about a fool who triumphs over his tormentors, another that recalls Paul Galdone's The Monkey and the Crocodile (Clarion, 1987), and one with a magic-pot theme. All are accompanied by notes that further explain Indonesian cultural-and even climatic-conditions. A few selections are suitable for telling to younger audiences. Occasional full-page, full-color, richly patterned illustrations recall batik and shadow puppetry traditions. A solid addition to larger folktale collections.
Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0824816544
• ISBN 13: 9780824816544
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144
• Illustrator: Charlene K. Smoyer