I Am A Tiger
by Karl Newson, illustrated by Ross Collins
Interest age: 3 to 5
Published by Macmillan, 2021
About this book
“I am a tiger,” declares the main character of this story – although anyone looking at the pictures would probably say they are actually a mouse.
You can’t be a tiger, the other animals say, tigers are bigger, they have more Grrrr, they have stripes, and they can climb trees. Mouse is not to be deterred, however: Mouse is a tiger. Mouse says tigers can be small; some have stripes but this one doesn’t (“so there”); and Mouse could definitely climb a tree (but not right now).
But what will Mouse say when an actual tiger appears? Mouse has an excellent answer: Tiger is not a tiger; Tiger is a mouse! Twitchy nose, little hands and feet, cheese for breakfast: yup, definitely a mouse. And Mouse has some interesting descriptions for the other animals too…
With its simple text and bold illustrations, this is a lovely book to read aloud and to share. The animals’ expressions are brilliant, the humour cleverly plays on the reader’s insider knowledge about the animals from the pictures, and there’s an extra twist at the end. It’s a funny story about a funny mouse that can be taken at face value, yet also subtly raises the concept of labels and how they are applied.
What to read next
We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.
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his year’s Time to Read book is I Am A Tiger – a fun tale of self-belief for Reception children. If your child enjoyed it, try these other great reads.
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