Tigers

A child imagines the activities of the tigers he can hear in the attic, in the cupboard, and on the rooftop.

PreSchool-K-- In this British import, a child imagines that some quiet tigers are playing games in the attic, hunting spiders in the cupboard, and sliding on the snowy roof, but her father tells her that the whispered roars she hears are ``. . . just the heating murmuring/ and whispering at night.'' The brief text, usually four lines per double-page spread, employs strong rhythm and unforced rhyme and reads aloud well. Vivid watercolors depict the imaginary, friendly faced animals engaged in their antics. In the first illustration, set in the child's bedroom, the tiger motif is evident: a picture on the wall and the striped cat curled up on the bed. The remaining pictures feature the animals cavorting on the rug and the floor, in the attic, on the roof, and wedged in the cupboard. The illustrations are somewhat abstract, befitting the imaginary nature of the beasts. In the final picture, illustrating the father's explanation, the tiger reclines on the radiator; with stripes, vertical lines, and colors all matching, he looks like part of it. The page design varies a great deal and is occasionally awkward, although not to the point that it interrupts the narrative flow. Fun for one-on-one or group sharing. --Cynthia K. Richey, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Nocturnal noises are fuel for a child's imagination in this bedtime story--the author's debut. Just after she's been tucked in for the night, a girl hears what sounds like a "whispered roar." As the sound is intermittently repeated, the far-from-sleepy child muses about the tigers that might "prowl up and down" and "scuffle around" making the hissing noise. Her father reassures her that a rambunctious radiator and not wild felines is what she hears. Riches's muted watercolors sport all the playfulness of a bouncing Tigger. Striped tigers in shades of blue, green and orange slink, coil and pounce across the pages, a perfect complement for Edwards's snappy rhyming tribute to big cats' fancies. Interesting design elements include the folk art borders that frame some pages and other spreads that feature saturated moonlight scenes. Both fanciful and comforting, this vibrant offering is a cat-egorical success. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.