Note: this page discusses the original Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. There is as yet no page for the various movie and television adaptations of the same name, although some of them are discussed briefly on the page for Mowgli.
The Jungle Book (1894) is a collection of stories written by the famous author Rudyard Kipling while he was living in Vermont. All of the stories were previously published in magazines in 1893-4. The best-known of them are the three stories revolving around the adventures of an abandoned 'man cub' Mowgli who is raised by wolves in the Indian jungle. The Second Jungle Book followed in 1895.
The Jungle Book is used as motivational moto by cub scouts, the little-aged scouting section. This utilisation of book's universe was approved by Kipling after a direct petition of Robert Baden Powell, founder of the scouting movement.
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Warning: Spoilers follow
The book's text has often been abridged or adapted for younger readers, and there have also been several comic book adaptations.
There are several Walt Disney cartoon adaptations based very loosely on the Mowgli stories. (Adaptations of The Jungle Book tend to concentrate on Mowgli's adventures.) It has also been filmed several times, with varying degrees of authenticity (although perhaps the film versions should have been called The Jungle Movie). "Toomai of the Elephants" was filmed as Elephant Boy, which later inspired a television series of the same name.
Chuck Jones's made for TV cartoons Mowgli's Brothers, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and The White Seal stick to the original storylines more closely than most adaptations.
There is a Japanese anime television series called Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli broadcast in (1989). Its adaptation represents a compromise between the original stories and the Walt Disney version. Many of Kipling stories are adapted into the series, but many elements are combined and changed to suit more modern sensibilities. For instance, Akela, the wolf pack alpha eventually steps aside, but instead of being threatened with death, he stays on as the new leader's advisor. Also, there is an Indian family in the series which includes Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as a pet mongoose. Finally at the series' conclusion, Mowgli leaves the jungle for human civilization, but still keeps strong ties with his animal friends.
Stories in The Jungle Book:
Adaptations
See Also
The Jungle Book characters.Related topics
External link
