The Tigon and the Liger

September 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-Tyler is a tigon. His dad was a tiger and his mother was a lion. No one will play with Tyler because he looks so different from the other animals. Subsequently, lions and tigers tell him to leave and he journeys to a place where he thinks he can be alone. He soon meets a liger named Lyla. She also has lion and tiger features. Tyler finds out that she has also been told to leave because of her unique traits. The two grow close and share a bond. The text in this book darts at an angle and zigzags around central images. The bouncing style of the narrative adds an element of fun and spontaneity for readers. The narrative also has a very comforting rhyme scheme. The story is told in a songlike manner that will capture the attention of younger readers. The illustrations are done in a folk-art style and the pastel colors give the book a dreamlike appearance. Upon close inspection, one can see tiny collage images that flow across the spreads. VERDICT This book encourages children to accept and embrace their differences, and to develop friendships with others who may differ from themselves. Best shared one-on-one and in small group settings.-Deanna Smith, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2017
Rhyming verse sends a message of acceptance for differences in this story about two tigon and liger cubs who find friendship with each other after being rejected by others.The introductory text explains that a tigon has a tiger father and a lioness mother and is smaller than typical lions, while a liger has a lion father and a tigress mother and is larger than typical tigers. Separately, the cubs are shunned by both lions and tigers, and they flee. When they find each other, they enjoy an immediate sense of comfort and companionship, which ameliorates the hurt they've sustained. Eventually, lion and tiger cubs see how much fun the pair is having, and they ask to join in. These actions spur the entire communities of lions and tigers to accept the once-shunned tigon and liger, as well as diversity writ large across species: "They now knew it matters / not one little jot, / who's big or who's small, / who has stripes or has spots. // And that goes for... / zedonks and zorses / and all wallaroos, / pumapards, leopons, / and most of all...YOU!" Ultimately the quick-fix, tidy ending undermines the veracity of any real-world application of the story's message as implied by the closing direct address. Would that it were so easy to dismantle the cruelty meted out against people somehow deemed other. A well-meaning miss. (Picture book. 3-7)

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