NINE-IN-ONE, GRR! GRR!

When Tiger visits the god Shao to inquire how many children she will have, he tells her that it will be nine each year--but only for as long as forgetful Tiger remembers how many it will be. Dismayed at the thought of so many fierce predators, Bird distracts Tiger so that she muddles the reiterated chant that titles the story, getting it backwards--""one-in-nine""--which is why ""We don't have too many tigers on the earth today!"" The author is a 1976 refugee from the mountains of Laos, now living in Seattle and active in an association that preserves traditional Hmong arts. Her engaging pour-quoi tale is beautifully illustrated in a style that uses silkscreen and other media to mimic appliquÉd Hmong ""story cloths""; bold, lightly modeled figures are arranged on areas of solid color; geometric borders add visual interest. The colors are bright, unusual, and strikingly harmonious. A lovely, authentic book from a culture that is virtually unrepresented in children's literature.