"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten."— Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
The writer who brought the jungle to life
Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to English parents. His dad was a teacher and artist; his mom was a clever, sharp-tongued woman. Until he was 5, Rudyard ran around their home and the markets of Bombay, talking in both English and Hindi, and listening to stories from his Indian nanny.
Then his parents shipped him and his sister back to England to be educated, which was common for British families in India at the time. The next six years were miserable. The relatives who looked after him were cruel. He missed India terribly. The homesickness shaped him forever.
Quick Facts
- Born: December 30, 1865
- From: Bombay (now Mumbai), India
- Job: Journalist & writer
- Famous for: The Jungle Book, Just So Stories, Kim
Kipling won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, at just 41 years old. He was the first English-language writer ever to win.
His Famous Stories
Read Kipling's stories on Worldly
Kipling's stories are exciting, full of memorable animals, and steeped in the wonders of the Indian jungle. On Worldly, every page is adapted to your reading level.
1894A baby boy is raised by a wolf family in the Indian jungle. He befriends a bear and a black panther, and battles a tiger who wants him dead. Pure adventure.
1902Silly origin tales for kids, how the leopard got his spots, how the elephant got his trunk, how the rhino got his crinkly skin.
1897A spoiled rich kid falls off an ocean liner and is rescued by a fishing crew. They put him to work, and turn him into a real person.
His Life, Year by Year
Bombay to Vermont to Sussex
Kipling lived on four continents during his lifetime, and each one left a mark on his stories.
Born in Bombay
Joseph Rudyard Kipling is born in Bombay to English parents. He's named after a lake in England, Lake Rudyard, where his parents first met.
Sent to England
At age 5, Rudyard and his 3-year-old sister Trix are sent to England to live with a British family. The relatives are cruel. Rudyard never forgives the years he spent there.
Back to India
At 16, Rudyard returns to India and gets a job as a newspaper reporter in Lahore. He writes short stories on the side. The Indian setting becomes his greatest material.
Married, moving to Vermont
Rudyard marries an American woman named Carrie Balestier and they settle in Vermont, USA. They build a house they call "Naulakha." It's where he writes the Jungle Book.
The Jungle Book
Rudyard publishes The Jungle Book, a collection of stories about Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, along with other animal tales. It's an instant classic.
Back to England
After fights with Carrie's family, Rudyard and his family move back to England. They eventually settle in a country house in Sussex.
Just So Stories
Kipling publishes Just So Stories, illustrated by himself, silly origin stories explaining HOW the leopard got its spots, HOW the elephant got its trunk, etc. Kids love them.
Wins the Nobel Prize
At 41, Rudyard wins the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first English-language writer ever to win it.
End of a famous life
Rudyard dies in London at age 70. He had lived through both World War I (in which his only son died) and the early years of British decline. His best stories, and the world's view of him, both remain complicated.
The Worlds He Made Real
Three things he gave kids' books
Kipling wrote about places most British kids had never seen, and made them feel as close as a backyard.
Jungle Book · 1894
Mowgli, the boy of the jungle
A boy raised by wolves. A black panther mentor (Bagheera). A bear who teaches him the law of the jungle (Baloo). A villain who never gives up (Shere Khan, the tiger). The whole "boy raised by wild creatures" genre traces back to here.
Just So Stories · 1902
How everything came to be
Origin stories for natural facts, how the leopard got its spots, how the camel got his hump, how the alphabet was made. Kipling invented a whole genre of just-so explanations for kids.
Kim · 1901
A spy story in India
Kim is about an Irish-Indian boy who travels India with a Buddhist monk and ends up working as a spy. It's not as famous as Jungle Book, but writers love it.
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about Rudyard Kipling
He was named after a lake
Rudyard's parents got engaged at Lake Rudyard in Staffordshire, England. They named their son after it. He went by Rudyard his whole life.
He illustrated some of his own books
The Just So Stories included Kipling's own black-and-white illustrations. He was a careful artist as well as a writer.
He was the youngest Nobel winner of his time
When Kipling won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 at age 41, he was the youngest writer ever to win it, and he's still one of the youngest today.
His view of empire is now controversial
Kipling was a strong believer in the British Empire. Many of his attitudes about colonialism and race are now seen as wrong and harmful. His stories often need adapting to remove those parts.
He lived in Vermont and loved it
Kipling spent four years living in Vermont with his American wife. He took up cross-country skiing, played baseball, and helped popularize skiing in New England.
He turned down a knighthood
The King of England offered Kipling a knighthood (Sir Rudyard) and the title of 'Poet Laureate' multiple times. Kipling turned them all down. He preferred not having a title.
Good questions, answered
Rudyard Kipling FAQ
Was Mowgli a real person?+
No, but the idea was inspired by real stories of children raised by animals, 'feral children', that were reported in India in the 1800s. Kipling took the idea and built a magical jungle adventure around it.
Where was Kipling actually from?+
He was BRITISH, born in BOMBAY, INDIA. His parents were English working in India when he was born. He lived in India for his first five years and again as a young adult, and then mostly in England the rest of his life.
Why are some of his views controversial today?+
Kipling was a strong supporter of the British Empire and wrote things that supported colonialism and racial hierarchy. Today many of those views are seen as wrong. Modern adaptations of his stories (like ours) update the harmful parts while keeping the adventure.
What age is The Jungle Book good for?+
The Worldly version is adapted for ages 7 and up. The original mixes some intense moments with gentle storytelling, we soften the older language and any rough edges.
Are the Disney movies the same as the books?+
Not really! The 1967 Disney Jungle Book turned the stories into a musical comedy. The book is more serious, more violent in places, and includes characters the movies leave out. The book and the movies are pretty different experiences.
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