Tiger on a Tree by Anushka Ravishankar (llustrator: Pulak Biswas)
After reading rave reviews on one of the online retailers, I just ordered this book (a tale is about a wild tiger cub that wanders into an Indian village) and am looking forward to reading it to B2. My current children’s bookshelf is filled with non-desi authors and I was on a search for desi ones. How could I resist after reading this:
“Tiger, tiger on a tree Is it true? Can it be? Did he fly? Did he flee? Did he fall and hurt his knee? Did he cry? Did he plead? If you want to know, Read.”
Wanting to know more about the author and the book, I learned that it has won many accolades around the world, including Italy, France, US and Slovak Republic. It won the New York Book Show Award for Children’s Trade Fiction, 2005 - American Library Association (ALA) list of Notable Books, 2005. Ms Ravishankar has a background in mathematics and was born and raised in India. Her book is published by Tara Publishing, based in Chennai.
from: http://www.tarabooks.com/about/authors
Update: June 10, 2009.
We received and read this book a few days ago and I’m sorry to say that it failed to meet my expectations.
The book had the misfortune of being delivered along with Carle’s Hungry Caterpillar, and so comparisons were inevitable. The illustrations of the tiger and the villagers in orange, black and white are eye-catching and unique for a children’s book and the prose in the beginning pages would grab the attention of a toddler. The latter pages and the ending were abrupt — a whimsical and a fun story of a lost tiger ended with a preachy disappointment. Perhaps B2 will like it more?
