The tiptoeing tiger by Philippa Leathers

I loved Leathers’ delightfully sly and humorous How to catch a mouse so I was excited to see another story from her. Little Tiger isn’t like the other tigers; nobody gets scared when he’s around! He’s just too small (and rather clumsy too). Little Tiger decides to prove everyone (and his big brother) wrong - he CAN scare someone! So he starts tiptoeing through the jungle, sure that if he just sneaks up quietly, he’ll be scary! He tries and tries, but nothing works until he sneaks up on a frog in a pond… and scares himself!

Leathers’ soft pencil and watercolor illustrations show a peaceful jungle with minimal vegetation and a friendly group of animals. The amused older tiger, elephant, warthog, monkeys, and other animals are neatly drawn in, showing their gentle laughter at the little tiger who wants to be scary. Although this doesn’t have the sly humor of How to catch a mouse, it’s still a delightful storytime pick. Kids will empathize with the little tiger who wants to be big and enjoy practicing their own tiptoeing and roars.

Verdict: A fun addition to your storytime repertoire and a sweet choice for kids who love stories with lots of roaring and a surprise twist at the end.

ISBN: 9780763688431; Published 2018 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library