Go To Sleep, Gecko!: A Balinese Folktale

By Margaret Read MacDonald and Geraldo Valério

Book Overview

"The world is all connected. Some things you just have to put up with."

Gecko may be small, but he has a giant-sized problem. Every night he is awakened by the fireflies outside his window. And when Gecko doesn't get his rest, he gets a little grumpy.

So he goes to Elephant, the head of the village, to complain. His request that the fireflies stop working at night sets off a comical chain of problems for everyone in the village and complicates everyone's life. In the end, Elephant teaches Gecko that everyone has a purpose in the village: the fireflies provide light, the buffalo provides safety and the rain provides nourishment. Everything is connected.

Through this cumulative tale from the Balinese tradition, Gecko learns that his well-being depends on that of the entire village and he finally goes to sleep, a little wiser. This Balinese folktale will teach readers the importance of respect, sharing and citizenship.

August House offers free lesson plans for Go to Sleep, Gecko

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1939160928
• ISBN13: 9781939160928
• Release Date: June 2015
• Publisher: August House Publishers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.3" x 10.7"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3