"In American Notes", the Anglo-Indian Rudyard Kipling visits the USA, and the travel-diary that came out of it offers an interesting view of the America of the 1880's.Kipling affects a wide-eyed innocence and expresses astonishment at features of American life that differ from his own, not least the freedom (and attraction) of American women. However, he scorns the political machines that make a mockery of American democracy, and whilst exhibiting the racist attitude that has made ...

The "Just So Stories for Little Children" is among Kipling's best known and loved work. The stories focus on different animals, and how they got their distinctive features. You will for example discover why the elephant's trunk is so very long, and how the leopard got its spots.Written originally for his own daughter, the author's pleasure in playing with the sounds and meanings of words is very evident, and adds to the adults' enjoyment of these children stories. This playfulness ...