How the Leopard Got His Spots

Usborne First Reading Level 1

by John Joven (Retold by), John Joven (Illustrator)

Once upon a time, the leopard was as plain and sandy-yellow as the plains where he hunted. So how did he get his spots? Find out in this retelling of one of Rudyard Kipling’s famous Just So Stories, specially written for young children and gorgeously illustrated by John Joven.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

24 pages, Hardcover

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and very brief story about how the leopard got its spots. It would seem that there was a time when everyone had skin as smooth and blemish-free as could be. When a giraffe and zebra wandered off into the forest, they discovered how they could conceal themselves. Soon, a hunter and leopard went hunting in the forest and came across these two animals, who could disappear at will. From that day forward, the leopard wanted spots as well. The hunter agreed, as it would surely level the playing (and hunting) field. Neo liked this morning story, as he needed something to distract him while eating. Cute and perfect for a few minutes of learning.

[Erica McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a stuff of myth. How the giraffe got its splotches, how the zebra his stripes, the leopard his spots and the Ethiopian his color. How the Leopard Got His Spots sound like a story past down from one generation to the next in order to explain the evolution of their own people and the animals. Which is always a fun and exciting story to read. I enjoyed the way the story is written in a way where I can hear the voice speaking to me. I could feel the heat of the African earth beneath me. I picture myself sitting around a fire with stars shining above and an old tribal man telling this story from memory, the way his father once did and his father before him and so on. The voice in this story is very strong in this tale because the teller says the word “‘sclusively” for all the animals, giving the teller and accent of sorts. The story lays out the land and the animals and their struggles between each other till many of them migrate down from the dry dessert to the thick forest. This all symbolizing the different tribes (I believe). The leopard people, the zebra people, the giraffe people and then the people that the teller is a part of. How the changes caused division between some groups and a union between others. This is a wonderful story where there is voice and symbolism, so the reader gets sucked into the ancient peoples world.

[Ravi Teja · Rating 2 out of 5]

A funny little story which has its origins in a proverb. It's awesome that such mundane things sparker something in the author.