Rum Pum Pum: A Folk Tale from India

by Maggie Duff, José Aruego (Illustrator), Ariane Dewey (Illustrator)

Aided by others who have suffered at the hands of the king, a blackbird seeks revenge on the monarch who has stolen his wife.

Genres: Picture Books, Folk Tales, Childrens

32 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1978

Reviews

[Lady Bocwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favorite. I think my local library had two copies, and we always had one. The protagonist, a bird, has his wife stolen by a self-centered king, so the bird goes to save her, all the while banging his drum (this is where the book gets its title). On his way, the bird encounters others, both animal and anthropomorphic objects, who too were wronged by the selfish king, so they join the bird in his quest to defeat the king and save the bird's wife. Repetitive phrases and similar wording/sentence structure give an oral, timeless feel to this folk tale. An excellent book to start introducing global folk tales to children.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the greedy and cruel king hears Blackbird's song, he orders the singer captured, only to come away with his wife instead. Outraged, and determined to rescue his spouse, Blackbird sets out for the king's palace, encountering a series of animals and objects—a cat, some ants, a stick, and a river—that join his quest because they too have been mistreated by the ruler. When they reach their destination, the kind orders Blackbird killed in a variety of ways—by being sequestered with his hens, a stable of horses, and the palace elephants—only to find his avian foe has defeated each challenge, with the help of his allies, all carried in his ear. When river comes out in the final confrontation with the king himself, that royal must yield, and Blackbird departs triumphant, with his rescued wife...

Published in 1978, Rum Pum Pum: A Folk Tale from India was the second of author and children's librarian Maggie Duff's four picture books, but is the first I have encountered. By contrast, I have read and enjoyed a number of other titles from illustrators Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. I found the story here engaging. It was an interesting variant on the hero's quest tale, in which he is aided by the companions he encounters along his way, although the way in which they each climbed into his ear was unusual. The accompanying artwork was colorful and cute, in a cartoon-like way, although a little bit trippy at times. I liked the way the creatures inside Blackbird's ear were depicted, with each new addition, as that lent some humor to the telling. I do wish a source had been given for this tale, as well as a specific cultural background—India contains a dizzying array of cultures, languages and traditions—but leaving that aside, would recommend this one to young folklore enthusiasts, and to picture book readers looking for Indian tales.

[Heather Ledet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful folk tale from India about a blackbird whose wife is stolen by the king.