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The Camel Who Took a Walk
As he is strolling through the forest, a camel is unaware of a tiger who is waiting to attack him
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1951
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 27, 2023
Probably my favorite book of my early childhood when i was around five years old around 1960.
Before I could read my father taught me to sign my name so I could get a library card. It's likely that it was the first book i checked out of the library. I remember my father reading this book to me. (Who knew then that I'd go on to write books myself? The experience of libraries as a child made books seem like friends to me, or at least like special things.)
It's interesting that this book is still making the rounds. I guess a good story is eternal.
Before I could read my father taught me to sign my name so I could get a library card. It's likely that it was the first book i checked out of the library. I remember my father reading this book to me. (Who knew then that I'd go on to write books myself? The experience of libraries as a child made books seem like friends to me, or at least like special things.)
It's interesting that this book is still making the rounds. I guess a good story is eternal.
April 22, 2019
This was a pleasant and unexpected little story that I enjoyed but forgot almost immediately.
August 11, 2022
Well, that was either the most comical plot-twist ever or the most anticlimactic book ever. I guess I’ll leave it up to you and your mood to decide. Ha, ha!!
Ages: 3 - 7
Ages: 3 - 7
February 12, 2010
This story, originally written in 1951, was a pleasant surprise. Suspense builds as we see 4 animals planning a chain of actions, all based on the presumption that a camel is going to walk past on the path. The ending is such a surprise--it made me laugh. I'm going to use this in my next storytime.
March 6, 2021
Random thrift store find - Roger Duvoisin illustrations caught my eye - the tiger is delightful!
September 21, 2015
Though I may live to contradict myself, I'm going to go ahead and say that this is the most favoured and fondly remembered storybook of my childhood. Sadly, it is also out of print, otherwise I'd put one in the hand of everyone who ever asked for a recommendation.
My review may be heavily coloured by nostalgia, but I feel I can say with some objectivity that the illustrations are divine, the story is well paced, and it sounds fabulous when read aloud. Perfect for story-time.
I could give you a summary of the story, but I'd be ashamed of myself if I detracted from the wonderful, escalating suspense by hinting at the ending, so all I will say is this:
If you ever stumble across this book, take a moment to read it and cherish it. It deserves it, but more importantly, so do you.
My review may be heavily coloured by nostalgia, but I feel I can say with some objectivity that the illustrations are divine, the story is well paced, and it sounds fabulous when read aloud. Perfect for story-time.
I could give you a summary of the story, but I'd be ashamed of myself if I detracted from the wonderful, escalating suspense by hinting at the ending, so all I will say is this:
If you ever stumble across this book, take a moment to read it and cherish it. It deserves it, but more importantly, so do you.
February 4, 2025
A fun book to read out loud and watch your listeners reactions to the ending.
July 4, 2024
Copyright 1951 this is definitely an oldie, but a goodie. The brief text has a repeating four lines and the story builds by adding animals to the narratives d the resolution of the story depends on the camel.
Roger Duvoisin was a well regarded illustrator during his lifetime and in this title his use of illustrations in black of the various animals introduced followed by a double page color illustration that contains the accumulating animals expertly pictures the text.
It was a visual and story delight. Remember the outcome of the story depends on the he camel.
Roger Duvoisin was a well regarded illustrator during his lifetime and in this title his use of illustrations in black of the various animals introduced followed by a double page color illustration that contains the accumulating animals expertly pictures the text.
It was a visual and story delight. Remember the outcome of the story depends on the he camel.
February 20, 2015
Jack Tworkov and Roger Duboisin have given us a real treat in "The Camel Who Took a Walk". They begin the story in the early moring in a forest, where a tiger lies wait, deceptively still. Then, as day breaks, the tiger's attention is grabbed by a camel who is coming down the road. Being a tiger, he prepares to ambush her. A nearby monkey sees this and prepares to drop a cocoanut on the tiger's head right before he pounces. Yet a squirrrel, seeing the monkey, prepares to bite his tail right before he drops the cocoanut. Meanwhile, however, a nearby bird spots the squirrel and also prepares to swoop down on him and grab him right before he bites the monkey's tail. (Ok, SPOILER ALERT: if you haven't read the book, go out and read it. I'm about to spoil the best part. Consider yourselves warned). Then, just as all of the creatures are on the verge of executing their plans, the camel suddenly stops, yawns, and decides to go back the way she came. And nothing happens. There are no pouncing tigers, no falling cocoanuts, no bitten tails, and no swooping birds. That is the story. The forest explodes in confusion and laughter, and the camel just walks away. I love it.
Honestly, I did not expect such a post-modern twist from this book. From the peritext, it looked like any other book. Yet I discovered that, instead of using foreshadowing and tension to build-up to a predictable action-filled climax, Tworkov and Duvosing build us up to the utter lack of what the reader was expecting! They manage to make it so surprising in part by using the reader's past experience in literature. Usually, when we read a book, we see most of the building action pointing to a specific future event. Tragedies and events are foreshadowed explicitly or implicitly. So, obviously, as we read about the animals' preparations, we expect a rather large and stunning sequence of events to occur. That is why we are so surprised when it doesn't happen. Note that, obviousely, someone with literary background focused in plot twists and juked foreshadowing would not be as surprised. Yet the majority of literature does not containg such twists as are shown in this book, so Tworkov's and Duvoisin's device works the majority of the time.
Also, I would like to note Tworkov's tone. It is much like that of a close relative telling a story. He creates this tone by using statements that they would make in his story. When describing the forest in the beginning, he speaks directly at with the reader with the question "And do you know why this was so?" and then he answers his own question directly afterward, like many grandparents do when storytelling. This style of direct contact with the reader continues as he explains what it meands when a tiger's eye is "open the tiniest crack" (that he is "watching and thinking"), and when he breaks the story rythm to explain the definition of flabbergasted. Such a tone contributes greatly to the book because it prepares us for the twist. Yes, if the narrator were more formal we would less expect the twist, perhaps making it more surprising. However, we would also probably reject it. A personal, informal narrator can comment on surprising nature of the twist, and coerce us into believing it, a feat made more difficult for formal voices because we expect them to be straightforward and predictable. We are much more susceptible to spontaneity when we hear it from informal voices, which is why such a tone is perfect for this book.
I strongly recommend "The Camel Who Took a Walk" for anyone. It is fun and timeless. I will certainly be sharing it with my brothers soon.
Honestly, I did not expect such a post-modern twist from this book. From the peritext, it looked like any other book. Yet I discovered that, instead of using foreshadowing and tension to build-up to a predictable action-filled climax, Tworkov and Duvosing build us up to the utter lack of what the reader was expecting! They manage to make it so surprising in part by using the reader's past experience in literature. Usually, when we read a book, we see most of the building action pointing to a specific future event. Tragedies and events are foreshadowed explicitly or implicitly. So, obviously, as we read about the animals' preparations, we expect a rather large and stunning sequence of events to occur. That is why we are so surprised when it doesn't happen. Note that, obviousely, someone with literary background focused in plot twists and juked foreshadowing would not be as surprised. Yet the majority of literature does not containg such twists as are shown in this book, so Tworkov's and Duvoisin's device works the majority of the time.
Also, I would like to note Tworkov's tone. It is much like that of a close relative telling a story. He creates this tone by using statements that they would make in his story. When describing the forest in the beginning, he speaks directly at with the reader with the question "And do you know why this was so?" and then he answers his own question directly afterward, like many grandparents do when storytelling. This style of direct contact with the reader continues as he explains what it meands when a tiger's eye is "open the tiniest crack" (that he is "watching and thinking"), and when he breaks the story rythm to explain the definition of flabbergasted. Such a tone contributes greatly to the book because it prepares us for the twist. Yes, if the narrator were more formal we would less expect the twist, perhaps making it more surprising. However, we would also probably reject it. A personal, informal narrator can comment on surprising nature of the twist, and coerce us into believing it, a feat made more difficult for formal voices because we expect them to be straightforward and predictable. We are much more susceptible to spontaneity when we hear it from informal voices, which is why such a tone is perfect for this book.
I strongly recommend "The Camel Who Took a Walk" for anyone. It is fun and timeless. I will certainly be sharing it with my brothers soon.
July 10, 2015
Tworkov, Jack, and Roger Duvoisin. "The Camel Who Took a Walk." (1951)Print. Classics. This book tells the story of a "beautiful camel" traveling in the forest. On this travel, troublemakers (tiger, squirrel, monkey, and bird) all plan to do mischief on one another in a sequential order. Unfortunately, the camel decides to turn back and no mischief could be done. This book uses dull illustrations, yet poignantly shows the action of the story so that you do not have to imagine the mischief in the eyes of any of the troublemakers. This book could be brilliantly used to help shows students how anti climaxes can be just as humorous as a huge buildup.
August 10, 2013
This is an old book that my children and now my grandchildren have loved, a simple story of a camel walking through a jungle, building such suspense as four animals make plans assuming the camel will walk their way. Young children are so excited as the pages turn, and gleeful at the ending. It gives a brief introduction to a jungle and animals who live there and an excellent way to build suspense a little at a time for young writers.
March 11, 2016
Develops suspense very nicely. Illustrator Roger Duvoisin is well known to readers of children's books, from his Petunia and many others (including some by his wife, Louise Fatio), but I was surprised to learn more about Jack Tworkov, who is an artist of a very different kind. He was one of the most important abstract impressionist painters. This was his only children's book. There must be more to this story, and I would love to find out.
September 15, 2011
This out-of-print picture illustrated by Roger Duvoisin can be enjoyed at this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzKkmZ...
Fortunately, I have a copy in my collection which I was able to use. The language is beautiful and the story tension builds using predictable elements perfect for the young listeners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzKkmZ...
Fortunately, I have a copy in my collection which I was able to use. The language is beautiful and the story tension builds using predictable elements perfect for the young listeners.
November 29, 2015
One of my childhood favorite books. Still own a copy. The book is delightfully suspenseful with a lovely ironic ending. Probably contributed to my love of mysteries. "But you know what happened. ______ happened."
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews