Oh my, what an absolute treasure this is. Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book was first published in 1894 and now, over 120 years later, it’s still capturing imaginations. This collectable, clothbound edition is not only complete and unabridged but has the addition of stunning interactive illustrations by London design studio MinaLima. The attention to detail is breath-taking and as you wander through Kipling’s wonderful prose and verse, you’ll discover page after page of treasures including detailed maps, pull out figures and a spinning dial of the elephant dance. This is a truly wonderful edition that will be a delight for friends of the stories old and new. It is a book to read, to explore and to simply hold and admire the beautiful illustrations inspired by this timeless story that continues to bring generations together.
Rudyard Kipling's famous tale tells the story of Mowgli, the 'man-cub' rescued from the tiger, Shere Khan, and adopted by a wolf pack. As he grows up, Mowgli learns the ways of the jungle from Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther and Kaa the rock python. His life is full of adventure with the jungle creatures, but soon the time comes when he is forced to leave and take his place among his own people. A kind woman looks after Mowgli but she can't protect him from the superstitious villagers who believe his friendship with wolves is the result of sorcery. Mowgli's only escape is to return to the jungle. But even the jungle has become a dangerous place. This rich and entertaining dramatisation skilfully blends words with jungle sounds and music, and stars Eartha Kitt as Kaa, Freddie Jones as Baloo, Jonathan Hyde as Bagheera and Nisha Nayar as Mowgli.
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865. He was educated in England but returned to India as an adult and worked as a journalist. There, he produced stories, sketches and poems that made him a literary celebrity when he returned to England in 1888. After their marriage, Kipling and his wife moved to Vermont, where he wrote The Jungle Book. Published in 1894, it became a children's classic all over the world. Tales of every kind, including historical and science fiction, continued to flow from his pen, including Kim (1901) and the Just So Stories (1902). From 1902 Kipling made his home in Sussex, but continued to travel widely and caught his first glimpse of warfare in South Africa, where he reported in the Boer War. Kipling was the recipient of many honorary degrees and other awards. He was the first writer to be awarded the Nobel Prize, in 1907, and in 1926 he received the Gold Medal of the royal Society of Literature. Kipling died in 1936.
