Camp Tiger

Starred review from March 4, 2019
Making her children’s book debut, Pulitzer Prize finalist Choi (American Woman) pairs with Caldecott Honor-Award illustrator Rocco (Noah Builds an Ark) to deliver a numinous story about a family camping trip. On the way to a remote campsite at Mountain Pond, the narrator warily ruminates about starting first grade. But his negative thoughts dissipate when a smallish tiger emerges from the woods and asks if the family has an extra tent, explaining, “I have a cave, but I still feel cold.” The serene animal seems to cast a palliative spell: after the father unhesitatingly sets up a second tent, the boy follows the tiger inside and, in one of Rocco’s many evocative pictures, the two curl up together (“He smells like sunshine and pine needles”). The animal guides the family as they hike and canoe, adventures portrayed in stunning panoramas, including one in which the family stands on a high overlook alongside the majestic tiger. In a final, dreamlike adventure, the animal takes the boy on a stargazing expedition, cementing a bond that’s reinforced in the conclusion to this resonant tale of family connectedness, burgeoning independence, and embracing the new and unknown. Author’s agent: Lynn Nesbit, Janklow & Nesbit. Illustrator’s agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. Ages 4–6.

Narrator Michael Crouch brings an otherworldly quality to Choi's story of a family camping trip just before the beginning of the school year. The featured soon-to-be first-grader is not happy about moving on from kindergarten, but his reticence wanes, and his confidence grows as the story unfolds. Who would expect a talking tiger to walk out of the woods at Mountain Pond and accompany the family as they climb, fish, and enjoy campfires and shooting stars? Who would expect this young boy to eagerly share a tent with the tiger? Crouch takes every action is stride. His voice is calm as he narrates at a leisurely pace that allows listeners to ponder each unfolding scene. A.R. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine