The Terrible Eek

by Patricia A. Compton

A father's fear of the terrible leak ultimately saves him from a thief and wolf.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A father and son sit huddled around a fire one stormy night in this retelling of a Japanese folktale, listening as the wind and rain batter their small thatched house. When the son asks his father if he is ever scared, the father's answer—that he fears a thief, a wolf, and a leak—sets in motion a comical chain reaction. Overheard by a thief on the roof and a wolf at the door, the father's answer causes pride, but also leads to confusion, as the wolf hears correctly but doesn't understand what a leak is, while the man mishears, and think there is some fearsome creature called an "eek." When the two interlopers collide, both are terrified, and flee to the nearby forest, where other animals become involved in a humorous chase and final confrontation...

Published in 1991, The Terrible Eek appears to be author Patricia A. Compton's only book, although illustrator Sheila Hamanaka has many other titles to her credit, as both author and artist. I had not heard of either creator when picking up this title, which I sought out due to my interest in folklore. On the whole, I found the telling only moderately engaging, as I kept expecting to feel more amused than I did. Perhaps I simply wasn't in the right frame of mind for this kind of comedy of errors. I was also quite disappointed to find that there was no note of any kind, either within the book or on the dust-jacket, to indicate the source of this tale, as this is something I always look for with folkloric retellings. Given this response, this might have been a two-star book for me, had I not found Hamanaka's oil painting illustrations so arresting. I don't know if I'd call them beautiful, but they were certainly expressive, and very interesting to look at. I'll have to see if I can track down more of her work. As for this one, although the telling didn't make a particularly strong impression on me, tastes vary, so I would still recommend it to young folklore enthusiasts, or picture book audiences who enjoy humorous tales.

[Anna Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Reaction:
I really enjoyed this book! Something that really caught my attention after I finished reading it was that the man made himself vulnerable when he spoke about his fears and two out of three of them were listening and gained a confidence from their power and the fear the man has of them. Even though he made himself vulnerable by speaking aloud of his fears in the face of them, he was still safe and his family was protected because he knew something his predators didn't (what a leak was). Because of this higher knowledge, the man was able to overcome the wolf and theft without even trying to. Kids would love this book because of the animals, and they try to work together to find the leak,

Purposes/Use in the Classroom:
Read aloud
-This book could be used to make a cultural connection to Japan because it is originated from Japan. If the classroom is learning about different and unique cultures, this is one book that could be read to learn more about Japan. The illustrations show traditional Japanese wardrobes worn by the man and son.
Independent Reading
-If an individual child wanted to learn more about Japanese culture just for fun or maybe for a school project. It's for kids in about 2-3 grade independent reading.
Literary Elements
-The setting is something that could be taught for this story. The time and place was important, as well as the weather. If the theft had not been on the straw roof while it was raining and slippery, he would most likely not have fallen off the roof onto the wolf. The timing of him falling was also critical because it was right after him and the wolf had heard his last fear. It all fits together because of the setting. It could also be seen as symbolism, which is something that can also be taught for this book.

Other as Appropriate:
-This book is a Japanese folk tale so it incorporates Japanese culture such as wardrobe into the story.

[Nicole Linder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute funny story about a misunderstanding of a leak in a house. The animals all have a chain reaction, it is almost like a game of telephone how things get misinterpreted and the animals go on a misadventure and it is a cute comical kids book. I laughed and just thought it was an easy, silly read.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Japanese Tale about a father's fear of a leak that saves him from a theif and a wolf.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is like the Korean story The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon.