Big Cat by Emma Lazell

There's a story in, I think, Clifton Fadiman's anthologies of children's literature about a little old lady who thinks she's found a friendly cat... but really it's a tiger! I don't know if there's a folktale origin for this story, but I've seen it pop up in several different stories and for some reason it never fails to amuse me. This latest iteration by British author Emma Lazell combines scribbly, exuberant pictures with humorous text for a silly story kids are sure to enjoy.

Grandma and her granddaughter are searching for her glasses in a backyard that clearly shows an interest in cats; There are cats hiding behind flower pots, in Grandma's skirt, and pictured on her shirts and undies on the line. Then the little girl finds a cat... a really big cat... the "cutest, prettiest, most handsome kitty cat" declares Grandma! They try to find the owner, but end up keeping the big, peculiar cat who is lots of fun for everyone, except the annoyed cats who want that tiger gone!

Just when it seems like the tiger will be there forever, there's an explosion of orange fur, Grandma's missing glasses are found, and the missing tiger's parents find him. Fortunately, all become friends and the story ends happily, even if Grandma is still a little absent-minded!

There's a charming reference to Judith Kerr's classic The Tiger Who Came to Tea and lots of funny signs from the other cats, silly jokes with the tiger, and fluffy orange fur flying across the pages.

Verdict: A delightful story for cat (and tiger) fans.

ISBN: 9781843654292; Published in the US July 2019 by Pavilion; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library