My Tiger by Joy Cowley illustrated by David Barrow

Tiger loves to eat cake and only cake until he has a toothache. The dentist tells the boy his tiger must not eat any more cake. What will the tiger eat if he is banned from eating cakes? She suggests he should eat the same food as other tigers!

Just look at that cover - we can only see part of the huge tiger and a couple of discarded cupcakes. If you stretch out the cover you will see the rest of the tiger and his face as the boy is pulling him by his tail dragging him to the dentist.

Back cover

The illustrations in this book are fantastic - this tiger has an even better face than the famous tiger in The Tiger who Came to Tea.

The Tiger who came to Tea by Judith Kerr

Gecko Press blurb: My tiger loved cake, and I went with him to the cake shop. Then he got a bad tooth, so I went with him to the dentist. My tiger didn’t like sitting in the waiting room, climbing onto the dentist chair, being told by the dentist what to eat. Especially when she said no more cake! What’s a tiger supposed to eat? A bossy adult is made to look silly and a charming tiger wins the reader’s heart in this subversively funny story about a love of cake and the pull of natural tiger instincts.

The timing of reading this book is PERFECT because I just had a terrible experience with a dentist - and then I tried to book an appointment with a kinder lady in the same practice only to be told she couldn't see me for at least a week and that very same day I found this Joy Cowley book - I feel like asking the tiger from this story to help me! I know we want children to feel confident about visiting the dentist but reading this book where (spoiler alert) the way the dentist is eaten by the tiger felt so good just after my horror experience. 

A trip to the dentist is inevitable after one too many sweets causes a toothache. The encounter is unnerving for both parties, and the tiger is advised to avoid cakes for good, leading to an unexpectedly dark yet hilarious ending as the big cat opts for a diet more suited to his needs. New Zealand author Cowley has crafted a vivid story grounded in simplicity, while Barrow adeptly conveys the titular beast’s intimidatingly vast size and imminent danger. The feline playfully contorts his body to fit the page as those around him look on in consternation, and when the child peers into the big cat’s gaping maw, the perspective switches to inside the tiger’s mouth, his jagged teeth filling the page. But Barrow also gives the tiger an expressive, almost childlike face. His human friend’s matter-of-fact, almost deadpan narration will lull readers into a sense of calm before ending on a surprising yet satisfying last note. A deeply amusing, wonderfully subversive look at defying expectations and watching what you eat. Kirkus Star review

Companion books:

There's a tiger on the train

There's a lion in my cornflakes

We found a cat

Joy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s most celebrated authors. In 1992, she was awarded an OBE for services to children’s literature; and the following year she was granted an honorary doctorate from Massey University, as well as being awarded the Margaret Mahy Medal and a DCNZM (A Damehood in the old honour system). In 2002, the Joy Cowley Award was established in her honour. Most recently, Joy received the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction for 2010. Joy Cowley was born in 1936 (89 years old). I wondered if My Tiger was perhaps a book she wrote in the past and that it perhaps has been published with different illustrations and reading a Facebook post from the publisher I have found the answer (which oddly was not included on the imprint page). My Tiger was first published in 1980 with illustrations by Robyn Belton; then again in an anthology by Gavin Bishop titled Just One More. 

David Barrow is UK illustrator. I previously talked about Have you seen Elephant and Budgie by Joseph Coelho. Gecko Press visit his studio.

Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus illustrated by Jose Aruego

From time to time, I think about Leo the Late Bloomer (1971) because it was a favourite book of a very skilled Kindergarten teacher who worked at the first school where I was appointed back in 1984 in rural NSW. I have also mentioned Leo the Late Bloomer a few times over the years here on this blog so I was pleased to pick up a copy (in close to mint condition) at a recent charity book sale. 

Leo couldn't talk. Leo couldn't draw. Leo couldn't write.  Leo couldn't read. He was also a very sloppy eater. But his mother knows they just need to wait. One day Leo will bloom! Dad just needs to be patient and listen to mum!

I love the way, when he finally does speak, Leo says a whole sentence and not just those punctuation words such as no, yes, up, down, more, mum, dad etc. 

Having reading this book again decades after I first saw it, I can now see it might be a book you could share with new parents in a preschool setting or at the start of kindergarten. If I was reading it to a group of children in a library or classroom I would talk about the concepts we associate with Growth Mindset such as "some things might take longer but that's okay"; "When I struggle I grow"; and "It's okay for me to make mistakes". And you could talk about the way we are all different and we all learn differently and the importance of patience and perseverance. This book might also fit in with your family if your child has older siblings who 'seem' to be great at everything - reading this book side by side with your young reading companion might allow you to talk about the concept of 'not yet'. Try to find the book Frog is Frog where Frog is trying to find his talent.

I now discover there was also a sequel -Leo the Late Bloomer bakes a cake (1982) but I have not found a cover image to share. 

I found these two classroom ideas.

Robert Kraus (1925-2001) wrote and illustrated over 100 books. Here are a couple of other books by Robert Kraus:

I am a Tiger by Karl Newson illustrated by Ross Collins

Go out and grab this book now if you have a preschool aged child in you life - this book is one they are sure to laugh and giggle and exclaim over. The paperback copy of this book is only AUS$15 so there is no excuse or even better check your library and if they don't have this book tell them to buy it - libraries do like patrons with book ideas. 

You almost need two people to read this book aloud because it is a conversation.

"I am a tiger."

"No, you're not! A tiger is much bigger than you are and it has a bit more GRRRR!"

"Tigers can be small, too. GRRRR!"

"Not that small!And a tiger has stripes."

"Some do. This one doesn't. So there. I am a tiger."

Blurb: A hilarious and original story about a little mouse with big ideas – she believes she is a tiger! She manages to convince a raccoon, a fox, a snake and a bird that she is a tiger, and that they are not what they think they are! But when a real tiger turns up, can the persuasive little rodent manage to persuade the tiger that he is a mouse!

Here is a Reading Rocket video of the whole book. 

Awards:

• Georgia Children’s Book Award - WINNER 2022
• South Dakota Children’s Book Award - WINNER 2022
• Leicester ‘Our Best Picture Book’ Award - WINNER 2019
• West Sussex Picture Book Award - WINNER 2019
• CILIP Greenaway Medal - Nominated 2020
• UKLA Book Awards - Longlisted 2020
• Booktrust Storytime Prize  - Shortlisted 2020
• Oscar’s Book Prize - Shortlisted 2020
• Shrewsbury Bookfest Picture Book Award - Shortlisted 2020
• Stockport ‘Best Picture Book’ Award - Shortlisted 2020
• Nottingham Children’s Book Award - Shortlisted 2020
• North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award - Shortlisted 2019
• Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards - Finalist 2020
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award - 2nd Place 2021

Here is the full series:

Check out Karl Newson's web page and if you click on I am a Tiger you will see a selection of review comments and videos. And here are the web pages for Ross Collins. 

We Found a Cat by Heidi McKinnon

Something arrives in a box. Look closely. The box says "this way up" and "beware".  The older sister is delighted. She is sure this is a cat but her little sister is not convinced. In fact little sister really can see the truth but her big sister has decided this is a cat and that is all she can see. Readers are sure to agree with and sympathise with the little sister and it does look like we are heading for a disaster.  

Using two voices is a delightful way to tell this warm, funny, and playful story. This is a great example of a picture book where the illustrations add a different dimension - you really have to 'read' them to get the whole joke. This book provides a perfect way to explore visual storytelling with young readers.  The page where the tiger “smothers” mum and dad is hilarious. The cross reference to the Cat in the Hat with the goldfish and the huge cat is one many adult readers will recognise. Of course, the ending, while it might not especially original, it matches perfectly with the fun of the previous pages.  And this book is sure to make you want to revisit an old classic - The Tiger who Came to Tea. 

The end papers, which bracket the book’s timeline, will give astute readers enough of a hint about the shared joke which is the basis of this book. I adore the ball of wool on the half title page and the way the same wool tangles over the title page. 

The matt, beige paper used in this book provides a perfect background to the art on each page and the restrained, almost retro palette, is very appealing. Using the younger child character as the ‘voice of reason’ is very affirming for all younger siblings. In this book so few words can say SO much.  

One of my favourite things to consider is the sharing of our Australian books across the world. We speak English and so our books can be shared in USA, Canada, New Zealand, UK and South Africa. We Found a Cat is such a splendid picture book and I think it is one that should be shared with children beyond our shores. Not because it contains an especially deep message but just because it is funny and because it is a perfect book to share with a preschool child who will enjoy being "in on the joke". 

If you love Elephant and Piggy and books with dialogue and confusion you will really enjoy We Found a Cat. And the art in this book is sure to remind you of illustrations by Jon Klassen. 

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Here is the web site for Heidi McKinnon.  You could pair this book with these:

Would you like a Banana?

This is a dog

Blue Badger

You're finally here!

Read more about Pat Hutchins

2022 The Year of the Tiger

Tiger Brother blurb from Readings Melbourne: Changsheng’s father brings home a homeless tabby kitten. However, as the kitten grows older, they realise that it’s actually a little tiger. Soon Changsheng and the little tiger become so attached to each other. Wearing a tiger-head hat made by his mother, Changsheng and the little tiger become best brothers. However, the villagers are scared of the tiger. Changsheng has no choice but to send the little tiger back to the mountains. The little tiger promises that it will return in times of need. All Changsheng has to do is to put on his tiger-head hat and yell Tiger Brother from the top of the mountain. One day a gang of robbers appear in the village. Since the villagers are unable to resist the robbers, Changsheng runs up to the top of the mountain, yelling for his tiger brother. The tiger brother and his brave tiger friends arrive to their rescue, driving away all the robbers out of the village. The tiger brother returns to the mountains, but it keeps its promise to Changsheng forever. A story about bravery, love, and promise, it also introduces the characteristics of people born in the Year of the Tiger, the origin of the Siberian tiger, and the history of the tiger-head hat.

Were you born in the Year of the Tiger - 1926; 1938; 1950; 1962; 1974; 1986; 1998; 2010 and 2022.

People born in a year of the Tiger are brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident. They are very charming and well-liked by others. But sometimes they are likely to be impetuous, irritable, and overindulgent.  With stubborn personalities and tough judgement, Tigers work actively and express themselves boldly, doing things in a high-handed manner. They are authoritative and never go back on what they have said.

The Chinese zodiac is a mathematical cycle of 12 animals. Each animal represents one year. People are associated with the zodiac animal for the year that they are born. The 12 animals in order are: Rat, Ox & Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster & Chicken, Dog, and Pig. ... Although it is called the Chinese zodiac, this system is also used in several other countries in Asia such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Kids Kiddle

Each year Ji Lian produces a new book featuring a zodiac animal - here are some past books. These would make a good addition to a Primary school library.

Each year I look forward to discovering which animal is featured in the Chinese zodiac. I was born in the Year of the Dog. (Which means I am honest, smart, loyal, sense of justice, affectionate. Can be lazy, cold, stubborn, quarrelsome). This year it is the tiger and of course there are tons of picture books which feature tigers:

Tiger by Jan Jutte

And here are some I have talked about on this blog (including one very special poetry anthology:

Jandy Malon and the Nine O'Clock Tiger

A Letter for Tiger AND The trip to Panama by Janosch

The Tale of Tiki Tiger

The Secret Life of a Tiger

Be Brave, Little Tiger

Read more about real tigers - National Geographic Kids.  Find books about each zodiac sign here at Kinderbookswitheverything. Celebrate International Tiger Day on 29th July - here is a book list from Kinderbookswitheverything.