Catch this tiger tale at storytime.
What makes a tiger a tiger?
The nameless young narrator has a pet tiger named Imran. Imran can speak, and he does have stripes on his pure-white fur, but they’re hard to see. This seeming omission makes the protagonist and other children question whether Imran is actually a tiger at all—though the big cat insists that he is. Throughout, Imran repeats the phrase, “You can’t tame a tiger,” rejecting the narrator’s repeated efforts to make him conform to preconceived notions of tigerhood. Chung relies on a limited palette, using orange as a highlight against blue-gray backgrounds, with painterly black brush strokes and flourishes of green and yellow. Painting black stripes on Imran’s fur makes him look like a zebra; festooning him with polka dots just makes people think he’s a cheetah. The youngster tries painting Imran orange, but he jumps into a pool of water and washes away the paint, all the while insisting on his true tiger nature. Clearly, the children cannot make this pure-white tiger change his (figurative) stripes. Ultimately, a loud “ROAR!” convinces the narrator and the other children of Imran’s true tiger nature, white fur and all. Readers may find deeper meaning in this story about self-definition and accepting others for who they say they are, though these messages are subtly conveyed; the true lures are the bantering dialogue between the child and Imran and Chung’s energetic artwork. Human characters have skin the color of the page; hairstyles imply diversity.
Catch this tiger tale at storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781771475464
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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