SOLVED: rolling rice ball? (Solution: The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel) [s]

[Cindy]

My friend asked me to help her find the name of a book that she read as a kid. She loved it and read it over and over again. This would have been in the mid-80's. It takes place in a Chinese village, a lady was making a rice ball and she dropped it. It rolled away (possibly fell through a crack?) and the lady chased it into a cave. That's all she could remember. Any ideas?

[Zing]

Could it be The Rolling Rice Ball by Junichi Yoda? There are other versions of this story, since the story itself is a Chinese folktale, but this one seems to be the most popular English language version.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Hi Cindy! The book you're looking for is Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, a classic from the sixties. Great book!

[Cindy]

This has got to be it Sarah. Thanks. The reviews of it sound exactly how she described it to me. She even compared it to the meatball song like one of the reviewers. lol I'm going to try to find her a copy as a gift so thanks to everyone who tried to help out.

[Rori]

Tikki Tikki Tembo is about two little boys who fall down a well. The book the OP was looking for is called "The Funny Little Woman" by Arlene Mosel. Right author, entirely different book.

[Cheryl]

The Funny Little Woman seems like a different variation. Too bad 'Sarah' deleted her post. Without feedback from Cindy, I'm not entirely sure this is actually solved (unless Cindy was the one who moved this to the solved folder?).

[Cheryl]

The Rolling Rice Ball doesn't seem quite right either.

[Sirvantes]

I believe I'm the person who suggested The Funny Little Woman (at least, I did on one site or another), and I didn't delete my post, so I have to believe that the original poster,Cindy, deleted it and moved her post to the solved folder (and renamed me "Sarah").

[Cheryl]

Weird.

[Cindy]

I didn't move anything anywhere and I didn't delete or change any comments. Strange. lol But thanks for the info. The Funny Little Woman was the correct book.