Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling

Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and originally a writer of adult fiction and historical accounts, British author and poet Rudyard Kipling (1865 –1936) produced many books and collections for children that were popular for much of the 20th century. The “Just So Stories” became a favourite across the English speaking world and are among Kipling’s best known works. First published in 1902, the “Just So Stories for Little Children” were penned just three years after the tragic death of Kipling’s eldest daughter, Josephine, who succumbed to pneumonia in 1899.

A collection of fantasy stories that capture the imagination of the reader,” Best Beloved,”- an intimate referral to his lost daughter – Kipling offers a romantic explanation of how various phenomena befell the natural world. Kipling’s own three children were enchanted by his wonderfully fanciful storytelling before he finally wrote them down for future generations of children to enjoy. The style of writing is humorously grand, punctuated by long invented words that may have reminded Kipling of language he had heard in India where he was raised. Each story is endowed with a short poem, and the first editions featured Kipling’s own illustrations.

Popular tales include “How the Camel got his Hump” featuring the punishment of a lazy camel, an explanation of an elephant’s trunk in “The Elephant’s Child“, “How the Leopard got its Spots” and an amusing description of how animals became domesticated in “The Cat that Walked by Himself“. The audio book preserves all of the charm of the paper version and will transport you into Kipling’s fantasy world of comical though unlikely tales.

Just So Stories audio book (3 hours and 7 minutes in duration) is available to download now to your iPod, Mp3 Player, Computer or CD.