I took off a few weeks for the winter break, but the Brainstorm is back this week with tiger stories for the Year of the Tiger that kicked off on February 1. Click on the titles to see my full reviews of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.
Big Cats by Nic Bishop
Nic Bishop introduces readers to the various types of big cats, their common traits and habits, and unique traits and habits for each species. The information is accompanied by Bishop's own photographs of all the cats mentioned.
A quick read that is packed full of very readable information and stunning photos! A great start for kids who want to learn about real tigers.
Target Readers:
Nonfiction Fans, Curious Readers, Middle Grade Readers
Empire of Shadows (Bhinian Empire) by Miriam Forster
Mara is haunted by a mistake in her past. In hopes of making up for her past transgression, she joined the Order of Khatar. Now she has finished her training with the order and is setting out into the world to find the one worthy person she can pledge to defend with her life. Before she can even get to the city, Mara runs into two boys being stalked by a Sune tiger in the jungle. Saving Emil and Stefan from the tiger, she in turn gains the friendship of the two Kildi young men, though she has no reason to believe she'll ever see them again. The Kildi are nomadic traders. But through various methods, all of them make their way to the city and start to realize there is a treasonous plot in the works that has all of them in it's talons.
It isn’t just the one tiger, cats of all kinds feature prominently in this world.
(This is a companion book to City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster, and there’s a little overlap of characters but it is not necessary to read both of them.)
Target Readers:
Cat Lovers, Asian-Inspired Imaginary Setting Fans, Fantasy Fans, Thriller Fans, Young Adult Readers
The Last King of Angkor Wat by Graeme Base
Gibbon, Tiger, Water Buffalo and Gecko have a contest to see who can get to the distant hill first and prove their worth as king. But along the way, each one demonstrates strengths and weaknesses observed by a wise overseer.
If you've ever read any of Graeme Base's books you know the story is only a tiny part of the book. His illustrations are stunning, and there's always a hidden picture element of some kind, and this book is no different.
Target Readers:
Asian Setting Fans, Asian Animal Fans, Fable/Folklore Fans, Picture Book Readers
No Beast So Fierce: the Champawat Tiger and Her Hunter, the First Tiger Conservationist by Dane Huckelbridge
In the early 1900s in northern India along the border of Nepal a tiger deviated from a normal tiger diet and started hunting and eating primarily humans. When the victims started numbering in the several hundreds and numerous locals and British hunters had failed to stop the beast, the government started to take note and asked Jim Corbett to see if he could put a stop to this serial killer. Huckelbridge dives into this story to look at the history and politics of the area, changes in ecological practices, the local people's historical relationship with tigers, and tiger science to figure out what drove this tiger to change its diet and venture into abnormal territory for a tiger. He also tells the story of Jim Corbett, the son of Irish expats who grew up in India, had a local Indian leader who took him under his wing after Jim's father died, and why Corbett was uniquely equipped to succeed where numerous others had failed and to do so in a way that was culturally respectable to the various peoples terrorized by the tiger but who also revered the tiger. It then explores how Corbett went on to be one of the earliest people to campaign for tiger conservation in India.
This was a very interesting look at how disrupting an ecosystem and putting apex predators out of whack can really be dangerous to everyone. It's an interesting look at the way tigers actually help subsistence farmers in India, and how deforestation hurts all of them. You don't walk away from this thinking tiger's are freaky and we need to get rid of all of them. Quite the opposite. You'll come away from this with a very healthy respect for tigers, but also an understanding of why the Indian ecosystem needs them.
Target Readers:
Disaster Read Fans, Tiger Lovers, Science in the Real Word Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Curious Readers, Biography Fans, Asian Setting Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)
The Secret Life of a Tiger by Przemysław Wechterowicz, ill. by Emilia Dziubak, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones
You know tigers, right? Big stripy things that hang out in the jungle? But do you really know what a tiger does with his time? Prepare to be surprised.
Cute, imaginative, and superbly entertaining. And I loved all the other Asian animals included!
Target Readers:
Imaginative Readers, Silly Story Fans, Asian Animal Fans, Books in Translation Fans, Picture Book Readers
The Tale of the Tiger Slippers by Jan Brett
Brett retells the folktale about a pair of slippers that take a tiger from humble beginnings to grand success. After he becomes successful he tries to get rid of the slippers in shame for their sorry shape, but they always come back to him and he eventually realizes it is good to remember where we came from.
I really liked the Indian setting and animals included.
Target Readers:
India Setting Fans, Folktale Fans, Picture Book Readers
The Ogres’ Magic Clubs 도깨비 방망이 / The Tiger and the Dried Persimmons 호랑이와 곶감 (Korean Folk Tales for Children, #5) adapted by Duane Vorhees & Mark Muller ; illustrated by Kim Yon-kyong
Obviously, this book made it in this list for the second tale, but I’ll summarize both. This contains two Korean folktales retold in both English and Korean.
In the first story, a young man out collecting wood stumbles upon the abode of ogres with magic clubs that generate silver and gold. He accidentally scares them away and becomes wealthy. His lazy older brother becomes jealous and tries to replicate his younger brother's adventure but with different results.
In the second story, a hungry tiger emerges from his lair to find it winter. He slinks down into town in search of food and happens to overhear a mother warning her child to do something or the monstrous tiger will get him. The child doesn't cease his howling, but when faced with something called a persimmon, immediately the child quiets. The tiger believes that a persimmon must be a ferocious beast indeed if the child was scared of it but not a tiger. He cowers in the barn. A thief is also in the barn, trying to steal a cow. In the dark, the thief mistakes the tiger for a cow and the tiger is sure this must be the dreaded persimmon. The crazy mixup results in humorous events.
Target Readers:
Korean Setting Fans, Folktale Fans, Humor Fans, Fantasy Fans, Korean Language Speakers/Learners, Picture Book Readers
Tiger vs. Nightmare by Emily Tetri
Tiger has a friend Monster. Monster came when Tiger was really little and was supposed to scare him, but instead Monster decided to stay. Now Tiger and Monster share food, games, and then at night Monster scares away the nightmares. But one night a nightmare comes along that is a bit too much for Monster. Can Tiger and Monster figure out how to deal with this nasty nightmare?
This sounds scary, but Tiger and Monster are adorable friends who model great teamwork and problem solving. And their ultimate strategy for dealing with a nightmare may actually help real kids too.
Target Readers:
Fantasy Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Lower Grade Readers
Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim
Two kids arrive at Halmoni's house (grandma's house) but can't find her anywhere. They do find a strange door though, and traveling through it takes them to an old folklore version of Korea filled with a clever rabbit, some hungry goblins, a conniving tiger, and sly fox. Can they find Halmoni and make it out when everyone speaks only Korean...and really fast at that so they can hardly understand?
There’s lots to love in this adventure/mystery/language puzzle in a Korean fantasy world with to Korean American kids.
Target Readers:
Korean Folklore Fans, Korean Language Speakers/Learners, Grandkid/Grandparent Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Picture Book Readers
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