It's a Tiger! (review)

The young protagonist invites us into a story in a jungle setting of picturesque tranquility, until . . . "Wait a minute. That's not a monkey. That looks like . . . // A TIGER! RUN!" We follow our narrator into a shadowy cave for safety, but what's that lurking there? You guessed it: "A TIGER!" The pattern continues, with each seeming escape leading the plucky kid right into a new tiger trap (on a departing boat: "Say, I've never seen a sea captain with a tail before, have you?"). Finally, the tiger gets what he wanted—some ear-scratching and belly rubs—and everything calms down, until the protagonist starts telling a story which begins it all again with a crocodile. Any child who's ever delightedly fled from a playfully roaring adult will recognize the game here, especially with a reader-aloud who can ham up the tiger's part for maximum effect. The clear absurdity of the situation papers over any logical glitches, and the structure that suggests an endless chain of good-humored, persistent predators provides for a satisfying final joke. Tankard's art, familiar from the irresistible Grumpy Bird (BCCB 3/07), is dense with thick, playful lines, while digital colors, often mottled or striated, fill and sometimes overflow the elements. The critters are somewhere between toy and cartoon, so the tiger's threat is mitigated by his adorably simplistic, babyishly round shape and the fanciful details, in both text and art, that frame the proceedings as make-believe. Youngsters may press stuffed animals into service to enhance the narrative here, but there'll be plenty of goofy fun just in the shriek-and-giggle sharing.