In his secret life Tiger doesn't eat the other animals of the forest - he surprises them in a helpful way. He chops up fruit salad for the baby elephant, gives the orangutans a new hairstyle, on finding some parrot eggs be puts them back in the nest and keeps them warm until they hatch and he builds the ants a fabulous new anthill - it looks like the Colosseum.
The beginning of this story is a little confusing because the Tiger does eat hunters although explains he "I always try to swallow my guests whole. And I swear by my father's tail that I do it with love."
One way you might use this book is to talk about all the verbs:
- creep up on the elephant
- sneak up on the orangutans
- pounce on the eggs
- hypnotize the ants
- leap among the tapirs
I picked up this book in a bookshop last week for three reasons. I needed a book to read to a Kindergarten class. I own a fabulous toy tiger and he loves to hide in my library bag. I was looking for books with a global connection because the school I visited during Book Week have 'connecting to the world' as their theme this year. I was pleased to find a book from Poland! Sadly it didn't really work as a one off read-aloud with this group of children aged 4-6 but I think you could read to a class if you take the time to discuss the idea of tricksters, truth and the concept of an off stage narrator. The reviewer at the Book Bag explains the confusion readers may have over the story line but, like me, he loved the illustrations. If you need a book showing how illustrations can go far beyond a simple text The Secret Life of a Tiger would be perfect.
On this page the words say:
"I hypnotize busy ants with my stare and with one flick of my tail ... build them a magnificent anthill!"
Most children will recognize the tiger as an unreliable narrator and enjoy the silliness of his assertions Kirkus
This is a beautifully illustrated whimsical take on the life of the tiger. School Zone
Prezemystaw Wechterowicz is from Poland and he is the author of over thirty books. Emilia Dziubak also lives in Poland. Here is another book (in English) by this creative team:
And here is a book illustrated by Emilia Dziubak - the title is Chocolate Day - I wish there was an English translation. You can see more illustrations from this book here.
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