THE LEGEND OF TIGER AND TAIL-FLOWER

Everything changes when a dandelion lands on a tiger’s tail.

A grumpy tiger is “bear-y mischievous,” much to the chagrin of his fellow forest dwellers. One day, a dandelion with a human face falls from the sky and becomes attached to Tiger’s tail. After a raucous round of tail spinning fails to detach the cankerwort, the cantankerous feline soon realizes that his new friend is his opposite; Tail-Flower makes friends with the denizens of the woods and encourages him to perform acts of benevolence, creating goodwill along the way. As time passes, Tiger and Tail-Flower get closer. Tiger’s orange fur turns white as snow, and Tail-Flower’s vibrant yellow leaves start to become white poofs; Tail-Flower’s face becomes lined, too. When Tiger and Tail-Flower get caught in a trap, Tail-Flower asks Tiger to blow. He does, and the dandelion’s delicate tendrils spread all over the forest; Tail-Flower is dead. The other animals come together to mourn the loss of their beloved friend and to rescue and comfort Tiger. Translated from Korean, this beautiful fable explores the need for companionship and the inevitability of death. With a mix of panels and full-page spreads, Lee’s loose, digital art makes fantastic use of the format, capturing both the exuberance of the good times and Tiger’s grief. The narrative is bookended by an East Asian–presenting elder who eagerly tells the tale.

A gorgeously told story of the people who come into your life for a reason.