About the Holiday
First observed in 2010 in response to the severely declining wild tiger population, International Tiger Day promotes awareness of these beautiful, distinctive animals. In the last century 97% of wild tigers have disappeared, with only 3,000 still in existence. Many factors have led to this devastating loss, including habitat destruction, climate change, and poaching. Environmental and other groups, such as the World Wildlife Federation, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Smithsonian Institution, have come together to protect and preserve wild tigers.
By Jakki Licare
A Tiger Like Me
Written by Michael Engler | Illustrated Joelle Tourloias | Translated by Laura Watkinson
A little boy dressed in a tiger costume wakes up for the day with a great big roar. “Because I am a tiger, a wide-awake tiger!” His mother tries to clean his beautiful fur, but tigers don’t like to be clean. He uses his tiger speed and reflexes to race out of the bathroom. With a grumbling stomach, the little boy sits at the table and gobbles up his breakfast. “I crunch and munch just like a tiger.” And now he is ready for the adventures of the day.
Image copyright Joëlle Tourlonias, 2020, text copyright Michael Engler, 2020, translation copyright Laura Watkinson, 2020. Courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids.
He finds a sneaky hiding spot where he can surprise his mom, but then he gets stuck. Apparently, it isn’t a hideout, but a trap. Luckily, Mother Tiger hears her cub’s struggles and rescues him. The little boy heads outside to enjoy the snow on the ground. “Snow sprays out from under my quick tiger paws. Icicles rattle with my big tiger roars!” The little boy pounces around in the snow, enjoying every moment.
Hungry again the little boy returns to the kitchen where he is sure to find “…some tiger prey…” With his quick reflexes he pounces onto the chair and finds a delicious tiger cake. After painting his face like a tiger he sneaks up on his father. With a growl he leaps up on his father. His dad becomes a hunter who wants to capture him, but the little tiger is too quick. “Because I am tiger, a wild and wary tiger!”
Image copyright Joëlle Tourlonias, 2020, text copyright Michael Engler, 2020, translation copyright Laura Watkinson, 2020. Courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids.
The little boy is sent to his room. Using his furniture and sheets, he constructs a tiger den. It is the perfect place for a tiger to lay low. That night the family gather together to make tiger crafts with paint, crayons, watercolors, glue, and paper. Afterward, as the little boy is getting ready for bed, he absolutely refuses to brush his teeth. Even though the sun has set, the little boy is still not ready for bed. He waits until his parents come up and sneaks into their den. They snuggle together until the little boy falls asleep. He dreams about how he loves his life as a tiger.
End pages show a waking/sleeping boy in a tiger costume sleeping on his blankets with a blue-gray forest in the background. A small stanza compliments the artwork describing the waking/sleeping tiger-boy.
Image copyright Joëlle Tourlonias, 2020, text copyright Michael Engler, 2020, translation copyright Laura Watkinson, 2020. Courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids.
This sweet story will entrance young readers as they get to prowl through the day with this human-tiger protagonist. Michael Engler’s beautiful wording transforms the everyday tasks of brushing teeth to playing outside into exciting adventures. My son enjoyed pointing out how his own routine was similar to the protagonist’s. Engler does a great job of capturing the wide range of emotions that a child can experience in a single day. From hungry to scared to playful, the boy goes through the gamut of feelings. The repetition on every page makes it fun for young readers to chime in: “Because I am a tiger….” The sweet tone and calming end makes it a terrific book to read before nap time or bedtime.
Image copyright Joëlle Tourlonias, 2020, text copyright Michael Engler, 2020, translation copyright Laura Watkinson, 2020. Courtesy of Amazon Crossing Kids.
Joelle Tourloias’s illustrations really capture the imagination and action of our tiger-boy protagonist. The speckles and blotches splattering the page when the boy pounces on his father really exemplifies the chaos of that moment while, the soft, almost hidden jungles in the background help blur the line between imagination and reality. My son especially loved finding the stuffed animals that are hidden on every page. The expressions of the family are perfectly rendered and really show the flux of emotions from moment to moment. Tourloias also does a fantastic job of capturing special family moments, such as the smiles of the parents and their son as they paint together on the floor and their peaceful looks as they cuddle together at the end.
With its emotionally rich storytelling, repetitive phrasing, and hidden pictures, A Tiger Like Me is the perfect book to add to your home, classroom, or library collections.
Ages 3 – 6
Amazon Crossing Kids, 2019 | ISBN-13 978-1542044561
Discover more about Michael Engler and his books on his website.
To learn more about Joelle Tourlonias, her books, and her art, visit her website.
International Tiger Day Activity
Celebrate Tigers Maze
Even tigers like to celebrate! Can you help this tiger through the maze so he can enjoy a slice of cake (or maybe the whole thing!)?
You can find A Tiger Like Me at these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million
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Picture Book Review
celebratepicturebooks.com 
This looks like a great book!
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It so much fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person