Camp Tiger
Susan Choi, illustrations by John Rocco
G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Fiction, CH Picture Book
Themes: Anthropomorphism, Felines, Wilderness Tales
*****
Description
A young boy's family is going on their annual camping trip, deep in the mountains, but he's not looking forward to it like usual. After this weekend, he'll have to start first grade, which means no more playing with blocks and storytelling time like in kindergarten. This year, however, the family finds an unusual visitor at their campsite, who helps the boy come to terms with growing up.
Review
I've been hoping to corner this one at work for a read, and finally got my chance. Unlike many children's books, the whole family is in on the adventure - the tiger talks, and they welcome it into their camping trip as a special guest - but the boy forms a special bond with the big cat. It's never explained where the cat came from or where it's going, though it doesn't really matter. The boy needs a friend right now, and the cat wants some company. The illustrations earned an extra star all on their own, particularly a beautiful sequence when boy and tiger make a starlight visit to the mountain lake. It's a gorgeous book with a nice, solid story.