It's A Tiger!
Suspense will build as readers journey through this book, and find a tiger at every turn! Each page provides a new scenario where readers can search the illustrations to see if they are safe from the tiger prowling across the pages. On each page there is a new clue that leads to the repetitive exclamation, “It’s a tiger!” Children will love to shout the title phrase, often before the page even turns. Adults and children (and especially bedtime story readers) will enjoy the heartwarming twist at the end.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
This is a story that invites children to be actively engaged in the storytelling. As the main character in the story inches his way through the bat-filled cave, climbs up a ladder, and swims to an island, children will enjoy doing these motions along with him. Children may sense the pattern of the book and predict the appearance of the tiger. This is a great opportunity to talk about prediction and look carefully for clues on each page that support their predictions. It might be fun to find a picture of a tiger or a cuddly stuffed tiger that children can hide around the classroom or at home. Adults can then ask the child for “clues” about where the tiger might be hiding!
As adults, we often focus on the written words within a story. Children hear the words, but focus on the illustrations. Because of this, they often notice clues about the story that help them make predictions about what might happen next. An interesting activity to try with families could be allowing them to tell the story by focusing on the pictures. Do they notice any details that they might have missed otherwise—like the pair of green eyes peeking out of the treasure chest? This book also involves using expression to tell a story—so practicing when to whisper the words, when to shout, and when to add movements to the story could be helpful. What text clues help us know when and how to change our voices when reading? Families will get a lot of practice with this technique—because this is a book children will want to hear over and over again!