TIGER

A tiger is rumored to be in a South Chinese village, and the people hope to kill it (illegally): the skin is enormously valuable, and they believe the tiger meat will make them brave. Only little Lee hopes it will get away—as he tells the hunter who comes to shoot it. As the hunter stalks the tiger—observing it competing with a vulture for its kill, sharpening its claws high on a tree, stalking its own prey, or plunging into a river- -the reader is kept in suspense: always, the hunter has trouble finding the right angle or keeping the tiger in his sight for a good shot. Alert readers will be aware that the language is ambivalent: this hunter packs a camera, and Lee gets his wish while the villagers conclude that the tiger was ``only a rumor.'' The story is artfully told, but pride of place here goes to the splendid illustrations; in eloquently lovely watercolors, Humphries captures the misty rice paddies and dramatic mountains, the expressive, well-individualized faces, and—best of all—the magnificent tiger, pose after pose, in all his glory. A concluding note details the tiger's endangered status. Fine storytelling; effective plea. (Picture book. 4+)