STRIPES THE TIGER

Inside every kitten is a tiger…Stripes longs to let his out!

Stripes is not the fierce jungle beast he’d like to be. He imagines himself a tiger. “Sometimes Stripes’ shadow allows him to imagine he’s big… / …but his reflection always reminds him that he’s little.” Stripes won’t give up his dream; he won’t purr when petted—he roars. He’s also taken to chasing the dog (big game!) rather than mice. So his owner takes Stripes to the zoo to see what a real-life tiger is like. Stripes envies his idol’s awesome life…fortunately, it turns out the tiger is just as discontented with its life as Stripes is; and the two hit upon the purrrfect plan to realize their lives’ dreams. Leroy and Delaporte’s simple tale of feline wish fulfillment was first published in Canada in French in 2010, and the uncredited translation reads clawlessly—er, flawlessly. Delaporte’s scribbly, cartoon illustrations are dynamic and expressive; Stripes’ roar is audible (and adorable at the end, when he takes the tiger’s place in the zoo’s cage). Children with dreams larger than themselves will identify with Stripes and enjoy picking out the humorous details in the pictures.

For dreamers of big dreams.