Tiger on a Tree

When my baby was 5 months old there were very few books that engaged him. This book stands out as one of the ones he clearly loved more than any other. The amount of text is perfect and the high contrast, simple pictures caught his attention. This is one of the books that I often have to read 2-3 times in succession, because when it is over, my baby gets a little bit unhappy that it is over. It is a real masterpiece and I find it a little sad that it isn't more widely known.

My 17-month-old son loves this book. In fact, it is the first non-board book he has really shown interest in. He brings it to me to read several times a day. He particularly likes the pages with one word/sound (splash, yaaaaah). He thinks it is funny and likes to imitate the sounds in the book.

Before reading, "Tiger On a Tree", I hadn't really considered the American lack of children's books from India. I mean, if you stopped the average bloke on the street and asked him to name a British children's book, you'd probably get some kind of an answer. Probably Harry Potter. If you asked for an Australian children's book you'd have more difficulties but at least 1 out of 100 people might know of one. But ask someone to name an Indian children's book and all you're gonna get is blank stares. Unless you ask someone Indian, of course. Then you might learn something. And what you might learn is just how great Anushka Ravishankar's, "Tiger On a Tree" is. With very simple words, a story that's interesting while still remaining pretty darn basic, and some wildly original illustrations, "Tiger On a Tree" is bound to garner itself some enthusastic preschool fans. Especially if they've a yen for tigers. In this tale, an almost perpetually amused large cat is on a kind of journey. It goes down to a shore, crosses a river, scares an animal, and climbs a tall tree. One of the local fisherman sees the tiger perched and shouts the alarm. Soon all the men in the village have gathered to discuss the treed feline. They set up a net around the perimeter of the tree and the tiger (no longer looking amused at its own adventures) is scared out of the branches by a cacophony of loud instruments, and straight into the trap. Catching a tiger is one thing. Figuring out what to do with him next is another entirely. The men come up with some interesting ideas (one of the most interesting being to, "Paint him an electric blue"). Finally, however, they figure the best thing is to let him go. The final picture shows the now once again elated kitty bounding on the opposite shore, away from the river's banks. The other day, I had someone ask (I'm a children's librarian) if I could recommend some rhyming picture books that were similar to the kinds of simple words used by Dr. Seuss. Now, no one beats the Seuss. He sort of invented the whole idea of simple words making fun books. And while I was able to find plenty of simple books, few rhymed all the way through. Should I ever receive this request again, I'm going to pluck "Tiger On a Tree" from my shelves immediately. The words in this book never get much longer than "rubbish" and are perfect for children just beginning to read. Words are presented in a black easy-to-distinguish font, large on each page (making them ideal for children with sight impediments as well). The illustrations are an entirely different matter altogether. Unfortunately, the publication page doesn't say how illustrator Pulak Biswas created the book's images. In some ways, they resemble woodcuts. In other ways, they look like broad black brushstrokes. The only color in the book is an occasional shock of orange. Whether the orange of the net to catch the tiger, the orange of the tiger's stripes, or the orange of the sun

Anushka Ravishankar's best known book, Tiger on a Tree, is a brilliant adventure story woven with the bold, expressive drawings of Pulak Biswas, not to mention the integrated design of Rathna Ramanathan. It shows humor and compassion, and, as with most of Ravishankar's work, has a touch of absurdity. Be sure not to miss the subtle expressions on the faces of the tiger and Indian villagers. For those who enjoy this book, I recommend Catch That Crocodile (another joint project with Pulak Biswas), as well as the many other Ravishankar works, including Excuse Me, Is This India? and Today is My Day.

Short dialoge, dynamic yet adorable illustrations, and a classic adventure story combine perfectly in this book to create a story that deserves to win awards. Very Highly Recommended.