Terrific tiger books

There’s a long history of tigers cropping up in children’s books – and they don’t only pop round for tea… Here are some of our favourite tiger books, full of fantastic tales and drawings of this iconic creature.

  • That’s Not My Tiger…

    by Fiona Watt, illustrated by Rachel Wells 

    2010 0 to 4 years 

    • Around the world
    • Board books
    • Interactive
    • Picture books
    • Touch and feel books

    Small children will love touching the tiger’s fluffy ears, soft paws and bumpy teeth and will particularly like tracing his soft, stripy tail on the very last page.

  • The Kiss

    by Eoin McLaughlin, illustrated by Polly Dunbar 

    2023 2 to 4 years 

    • Picture books

    Crocodile and Tiger are both feeling as sleepy as can be, and they both need someone to give them a goodnight kiss. Unfortunately, no one will, until they find their parents in the middle of the book who are always there to help them into dreamland.

  • Go Go Dodo!

    by Huw Lewis Jones, illustrated by Fred Blunt 

    2025 2 to 5 years 

    • Picture books
    • Funny

    Dodo goes for a little stroll through the jungle – and doesn’t notice the tiger creeping behind him. A very funny book that tells one story with the words and another in the pictures. 

  • The Tiger Who Came to Tea

    by Judith Kerr 

    1968 2 to 9 years 

    • Classics
    • Funny
    • Picture books

    Sophie and her Mummy are having tea in the kitchen when in walks a hungry tiger who asks to stay to tea.

  • Hello, Orange Tiger

    by Natalie Marshall 

    2019 2 to 7 years 

    • Board books
    • Interactive

    This rhyming board book has colourful, die-cut pages, which will introduce youngsters to animals, colour and habitats. Bright, vibrant and deceptively simple. 

  • Tiny Tiger Says Why Can’t I?

    by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Steve Small 

    2025 2 to 5 years 

    • Picture books
    • Poetry and rhyme
    • Early Learning

    Tiny Tiger really wants all the cake and the ice cream and he wants to live on the moon, drive the car, and wear pyjamas to school. Why can’t he do everything he wants?

  • I Am A Tiger

    by Karl Newson, illustrated by Ross Collins 

    2021 2 to 7 years 

    • Funny
    • Picture books

    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! With its simple text and bold illustrations, this is a lovely book to read aloud which subtly raises the concept of labels and how they are applied. 

  • Ravi’s Roar

    by Tom Percival 

    2019 2 to 9 years 

    When being the youngest and smallest gets too annoying, Ravi roars and turns into a tiger! But who wants to play with a tiger? An entertaining book about losing your temper and recovering from it.

  • Tiger’s Last Roar

    by Harriet Howe, illustrated by Katie Cottle 

    2025 3 to 7 years 

    • Picture books

    Mae and her cat Tiger are best friends and queens of the jungle. When Tiger passes away, Mae gradually comes to terms with her loss in this touching picture book.

  • Don’t Think of Tigers

    by Alex Latimer 

    2024 4 to 7 years 

    • Funny
    • Interactive
    • Picture books

    The creator of this picture book offers to draw anything the reader wants on the next page… as long as it’s not a tiger. Unfortunately, if you try not to think about tigers, that’s all that pops into your mind. Funny, colourful and interactive, this story highlights the importance of perseverance.  

  • Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright!

    By various, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, selected by Fiona Waters 

    2020 5 to 14 years 

    • Around the world
    • Picture books
    • Poetry and rhyme

    A lavishly illustrated, hardback gift book with an animal poem for every day of the year.

  • Animagicals: Mia’s Tiger

    by Paula Harrison, illustrated by Erwin Madrid 

    2026 7 to 11 years 

    • Adventure
    • Chapter books
    • Fantasy
    • Mystery
    • Diversity and inclusion

    When Mia discovers that she can change into animal form, she attends Wild Haven boarding school in the enchanted land of Animagia to hone her animagical skills. This exciting, magical adventure centres around kindness, friendship, and animal welfare. 

  • Tiger, It’s Snowing!

    by Daishu Ma 

    2024 5 to 9 years 

    • Picture books

    Tiger has never seen snow before and is excited to go out and play. But Mei isn’t sure… at first. A funny and charming story about adventure and friendship.

  • Tyger

    by SF Said, illustrated by Dave McKean 

    2022 9 to 14 years 

    • Adventure
    • Chapter books
    • Fantasy

    Adam is a boy living in London, but not as we know it. In this alternate universe slavery was never abolished, which has left the UK in a sorry state with rich overlords ruling over a sprawling poor and people with origins anywhere apart from the UK particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. That includes Adam’s family of shopkeepers. Then Adam meets an awe inspiring talking tiger, called Tyger and experiences mysterious powers.

  • Tiger Heart

    by Penny Chrimes, illustrated by Levente Szabo 

    2020 9 to 14 years 

    • Adventure
    • Around the world
    • Fantasy

    Fly embarks on a daring journey to right a terrible wrong and break the curse placed on hers and the tiger’s homeland. Perfect for any reader who loves daring adventures with a twist of magic.

  • Skrimsli

    by Nicola Davies 

    9 to 14 years 

    • Adventure
    • Fantasy

    Can Skrimsli the tiger and his human friends Owl and Kal escape captivity and defeat the powerful Automators? An action-packed, gripping fantasy adventure.