TIGER TIGER
by Jonny Lambert ; illustrated by Jonny Lambert
A sleepy, jaded old tiger is left in charge of a feisty, curious cub, who leads him a merry dance through the jungle.
“I’m too old for cub-sitting,” complains Tiger, and instructs Cub to stay where he is and not move while the adult catches 40 winks. But Cub rapidly grows bored and runs off, obliging the old tiger to chase after him. “Flit! Float! Flitter!” Cub is instantly distracted by a beautiful butterfly. “Chitter-chatter! Screech!” He spots a troupe of monkeys swinging from the branches. “I remember that noisy bunch!” grumbles Tiger. After Cub has shot up a tree to visit with Pangolin, Tiger starts to mellow and discovers that playing games with Cub can actually be fun. By the last page, Tiger is thoroughly enjoying the cub, and they become best buddies. The decorative spreads are illustrated in a collaged, stenciled style, with a subtle green and brown palette rendering the lights and shadows of the jungle foliage. Birds, insects, and other animals can be spotted peeking through the leaves. Tiger and Cub bound through the landscape, Tiger bearing a passing resemblance to Disney’s rendition of Shere Khan, although much less scary. Semirhyming text, awkward at times, accompanies the illustrations.
This is a worthy addition to the multigenerational-companionship shelf.
(Picture book. 2-4)