The Rabbit's Tail: A Story From Korea by Suzanne Crowder Han

by Suzanne Crowder Han

Everyone knows that rabbits have short, fluffy tails. But this wasn't always the case. In this captivating version of a Korean folktale, a tiger tells a rabbit the story of how he narrowly escaped being eaten by an evil creature. Amazed that anything could scare a tiger, the curious rabbit dashes off to see the creature. The tiger warns him not to go, but the rabbit doesn't listen and gets himself in a spot of trouble that changes all rabbits forever.Illustrated with dramatic detail and vibrant hues, The Rabbit's Tail will transport young readers to a time deep in Korea's folktale tradition.

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, Childrens

Hardcover

First published March 15, 1999

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read three versions of this traditional Korean folk tale and this one was my favorite (the runner-up). In the author’s note at the beginning, we learn that tigers and rabbits are the animals that feature in these tales most frequently, and this story brings them together, beginning, “Long, long ago, when tigers smoked pipes and rabbits had long tails …” The story is a funny and unpredictable comedy of errors, and possibly confusing for kids, especially because in this book the tiger’s imagined bogeyman of the “dried persimmon” is drawn as a scary villain. I think younger kids would need some help understanding that the villain is never actually there and is only a figment of the tiger’s imagination. Kids could also be encouraged to point out all of the misassumptions and mistaken identities that drive the story. It’s quite funny and surprising to see the proud tiger reduced to a jittery little scaredy-cat by a piece of dried fruit, and the story ends with an interesting explanation of why rabbits now have short tails. The illustrations are also nice.



I found this translation note elsewhere: The title of this story is often translated as “The Tiger and the Dried Persimmons” since the treat the mother offers the child is kkotgam—literally “flower persimmons”—which are dried. (They taste sort of like a cross between figs and dates.) But since Korean doesn’t explicitly designate a plural, the mother could be referring to a single dried persimmon or several of them skewered together on a rope (their traditional presentation). In English, the story would seem odd if the mother referred to more than one persimmon or called it a dried persimmon. Would the tiger be brave enough to face a single persimmon or several wet ones? Those kinds of questions would take the reader out of the drama of the story. In any case, I have gone with the singular and omitted the adjective, since Koreans would assume that the persimmon in question was dried and non-Koreans would understand that a dried persimmon treat might simply be called a persimmon.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I was not sure on an what the purpose of it was but I kept reading because I wanted to find out. In the end the folk tale is finally told and it adds humor to the entire book. you could use this book when talking about stories from the past.

[Leanne Feathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story. I had never heard about the rabbits tail story and this story was very interesting. I loved the pictures that go along with the story, they are very exciting. I really liked how the tiger thinks it is a monster when it is just a man.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good story about a tiger who thinks a dried persimmon has power. He knows a human baby was making noise/stopped when he got one. He meets a rabbit who tries to say there is a man in a tree. The story explains why tiger has a short tail these days. Recommended for elementary kids.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about how a tiger is afraid of a persimmon and the rabbit lost his long tail.

[Tessa in Mid-Michigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Korean folktale adapted for short format.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining Korean folk tale. Includes an interesting author’s note about the tale in the beginning of the book.

[Sunshine Artadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this book for children. It is a well-crafted fantasy book.
She did a nice job putting a twist on the story about the rabbit and the tiger.
The theme of the book is the tiger.
He is afraid of the dried persimmon that is on his back. But what he doesn’t realize is that it a person (the thief) who is on his back and is just as afraid of the tiger and he is afraid the supposedly dried persimmons.
What did not like about the book is that you don’t get to meet the rabbit until the latter part of the book. Again I like this book for children but it would require a history lesson in the use of dried persimmons and what they are a fruit and the history of Korea. This would a good fantasy book for a multicultural class.

[Danielle Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really a page turner for kids! I kept reading so I could see what happens and the end happens to be a pleasant surprise. The tiger has an adventure and a rabbit gets involved. It is basically a big misunderstanding but it all makes sense in the end.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great moral to this Korean Folklore! Awesome Multicultural book that talks about the Korean culture.

[Amy Pardee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about a tiger who mistakenly is afraid of a dried persimmon, thinking it is something bigger. It ends with explaining why a rabbits tail is short and stubby. Picture Book

[Louise Marielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

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