I thought that I was only going to get a collection of tales closely resembling the original "Just-So Stories: of Kipling, albeit freed of their original orientalist and colonial baggage. While there are indeed a few stories here that do precisely that, not only do none of those do so in the precise same way but they are only a part of the stories assembled here. The other stories take a wide variety of different tracks - as they should. After all, what better way to engage a Rudyard Kipling classic written in the imperial-colonial lens than by responding with tales that are as diverse as all of the backgrounds and cultures that their respective writers represent?

For me, this was just an absolute delight of a read, with each individual story bringing a completely unique experience to enjoy and reflect upon.