Ziggy and the moonlight show by Kristyna Litten

Forms in music have names such as binary (AB); ternary (ABA); or rondo (ABACA).  If you apply this idea to a book like Ziggy and the moonlight show I suggest it follows the binary form. 

Part A
Ziggy hears the cry of a forlorn mother bird. The chick is lost. Ziggy looks at the mother bird and decides the chick must have black and white stripes so with that as the main clue the pair set off. They have to rush because, yes the chick is lost, but tonight is Saturday night - the night everyone loves to attend The Moonlight Show.

The hunt for the chick begins. Stripy feathers in the reeds - no it's the frogs; up in the tree - no it's a tiger; stripes in the grass - no, quick run run it's a huge snake.  Ziggy and the mother bird head on into the forest.

"Until out of the stillness came a tiny 'Poe! Poe! Poe! And down through the branches hopped the little chick."

Part B
If they hurry the three of them might make it back in time for the special show but how can they find the way? That's where the animals from the original journey can help. They spy the snake, then the tiger and finally the frogs. And YES they do arrive in time for the show. Moths swirling around the stars - pure magic.

Ziggy and the moonlight show is a very satisfying story with a happy ending and beautiful themes of kindness, courage and perseverance.  With a group of older children you could talk about why the snake and tiger do not seem quite so scary at night. You can see more illustrations here. Check out another book by Kristyna Litten - Norton and Alpha.

Be Brave, Little Tiger! by Margaret Wise Brown illustrated by Jean Claude

Margaret Wise Brown is famous for her book Goodnight Moon but she was actually the author of more than one hundred books. Seventy books were found after her death in 1952 and all have been published posthumously.  One of those books is Be Brave, Little Tiger which was published in 2018. I love the idea that a book written over seventy years ago has such a modern look. I also love the global connections in this story - an author from USA, an illustrator from UK and readers here in Australia. I mentioned that this book looks 'modern'.  I will explain:

When you pick up this book there are some delightful things to notice - features which may not have been added if this book had been published back when Margaret Wise Brown first wrote the text. The vibrant full colour illustrations, the two different end papers - morning scene and night scene, framed illustrations, full page illustrations, double page illustrations and pages where you need to turn the book sideways. The text uses different font styles - bold, italic, size variations and capitals all for emphasis.

Our story opens with a song:

"I'm a brave little tiger, ho ho ho!

I'm not afraid wherever I go!"

But our little tiger is not really brave. This song is just his way of trying to feel brave. He is afraid of the monkeys, the bees, the birds and the fish. He is too scared to jump in the river and join his friends for a swim. His mum and dad give good advice: "everyone is afraid of something sometimes"; "even an elephant is afraid sometimes."

There is a lovely structure to this story. It opens with the little tiger walking through the forest. He repeats this journey the next day but, with his fears put to rest, the whole scene seems different.

There are some wonderful words in this book:

• gargantuan
• lounging
• encountered
• delicately
• skittered

When you pick up this book I am sure you will enjoy sharing it with a preschool child. We all have our fears and worries. The solutions are not simple but with a little effort it is possible to take small steps forward and perhaps feel a little less afraid.

The Secret Life of a Tiger by Przemystaw Wechterowicz illustrated by Emilia Dziubak

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!"

Image source: http://www.omc.obta.al.uw.edu.pl/myth-survey/item-export/68

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.