Perfect Picture Book Friday: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Posted on September 13, 2013 by viviankirkfield

It’s time for a Happy Dance!!!!

Children’s author Susanna Leonard Hill, founder of Perfect Picture Book Friday, is resuming her picture book review link-up after a well-deserved summer hiatus.

Last weekend, I attended a special book event at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver.

Award-winning author/illustrator Peter Brown is touring the country to help launch his new picture book, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. From left to right: Stacy Jensen, Julie Rowen-Zoch, Sheri McCrimmon, me and Julie Hedlund. Oh, and of course, front and center is Peter Brown!

We all enjoyed hearing him read the story…and the little art demo he did for the kids (and us) was FANTASTIC! Peter empowered all of us to believe we COULD draw…maybe I will have to give it a whirl.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Written and illustrated by Peter Brown

Publisher: Little Brown and Company (2013)

Opening lines: “Everybody was perfectly fine with the way things were. Everyone but Mr. Tiger.”

Age: 3 and up

Themes: Believe in yourself, be yourself, don’t be afraid to be different

Synopsis:

Mr. Tiger is tired of being all prim and proper. When his behavior is deemed ‘too wild’, he leaves the city and goes into the wilderness where he can run around naked and have fun. However, he finds that it is too lonely in the wilderness and decides to return to his friends – who have been busy learning to be a little less straight-laced while he was away.

Why I like this book

Great read-aloud
Bold illustrations by Caldecott Honor Award-Winning Peter Brown
Wonderful message about being yourself and not being afraid to be different

How parents can use this book:

Wonderful read-aloud…please, please, please read to your child EVERY DAY
Good springboard for a discussion on having the courage to be different
Highlights the importance of believing in oneself

I encourage parents and teachers to get a copy of this book…it’s the kind of story that will have kids saying, “Read it again, please!!!!” Available in bookstores and on Amazon.

Related Activities:

To extend the enjoyment and learning of every story time, I love to use a craft activity. Here’s a fun project using a paper plate. White or colored paper plates, brown or white paper lunch bags, a box of markers, a pair of scissors, a glue stick and some construction paper – that is all you need for hours of inexpensive, educational, self-esteem building fun with young kids!

PAPER PLATE TIGER

You can find instructions for this project as well as many other crafts here: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/metiger.html

Our packing is progressing – you can finally walk into our walk-in closets! Stacks of boxes with labels line each room. I’m excited to be going to New Hampshire where I will spend many happy hours, reading and crafting and cooking with our five-year old grandson.

Please come back here on Sunday…I’m part of a virtual book tour for 11-year old author Erik Weibel of This Kid Reviews Books…I’ll be reviewing his new book: The Adventures of Tomato and Pea: Book One…A Bad Idea.

PPBF: Mr.Tiger Goes Wild and a GIVEAWAY! (julierowanzoch.wordpress.com)
Thank God Friday #10 – birthdays, bugs & other shitty drafts (mummumstheword.wordpress.com)
Not Just Child’s Play: A Fall 2013 Picture Book Preview (theatlanticwire.com)
WILD: sweet picture book about a feral child who won’t be tamed (boingboing.net)
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild: A Charming Modern-Day Fable about Authenticity and Acceptance (brainpickings.org)
Why Picture Books, Why Now? (beckylevine.com)
Blurbs From the Branch: New Picture Books! (libraryquickpicks.cedarmill.org)

37 thoughts on “Perfect Picture Book Friday: Mr. Tiger Goes Wild”

Catherine Johnson on September 13, 2013 at 3:56 am said:

Good luck with your move, Vivian! How amazing to meet up with everyone and see Peter Brown. I hope you do start painting. It wasn’t long ago I was in the ‘can’t’ club. I hadn’t even tried. Can’t wait to read this book it sounds hilarious!

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:41 pm said:
  
  Great book, Catherine…and great advice from Peter (and you) to start painting. My husband got into painting 4 years ago, so I have all the supplies I need.:)
  
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Susanna Leonard Hill on September 13, 2013 at 4:58 am said:

That is quite a happy dance picture! – I LOVE it 🙂 So glad to be back at PPBF! And this book looks wonderful. I love the concept of a book that addresses wild behavior – don’t all kids have to learn how to manage that?! – and finding a happy medium 🙂 So many great titles have already gone up today that I’m dying to read – this one included! – I will probably do myself an injury at the library later 🙂

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:43 pm said:
  
  I think everyone is glad to be back to PPBF.:) Don’t know if I will get to read all the entries…having trouble finding the time to respond to comments…the closets in my house are having babies…I pack and pack and there is still more to do.:)
  
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julie rowan zoch on September 13, 2013 at 5:17 am said:

I suppose we couldn’t contain ourselves after getting the chance to meet up. Only sorry it took us so long! But we’ll ‘see’ each other most Fridays, and it looks like you’ve got a great dance partner to share the PPBF picks with! All the very best – keep dry and safe.

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:45 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Julie! The goal of being with Jeremy is what is keeping me sane through this packing process. 🙂 t think he would have me read to him constantly if I would.:)
  
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  - julie rowan zoch on September 18, 2013 at 6:30 pm said:
    
    Soon he may be reading with you – love that milestone!
    
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    - viviankirkfield on September 19, 2013 at 12:41 am said:
      
      That will be lovely, Julie! Last year when I visited him, his favorite book was ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and he loved ‘reading’ the parts he knew. 🙂
      
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clarbojahn on September 13, 2013 at 6:12 am said:

So happy to have PPBF back! I missed it terribly. And I Love the premise of this book! Kids will identify with MR Tiger and want to run away themselves. Any book that builds self esteem is high on my list of wanna read books.

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:46 pm said:
  
  Great book, Clar…and a fun read for both parent and child! Hope your summer went well…can’t believe we will be in New England for the autumn.:)
  
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  - clarbojahn on September 19, 2013 at 2:27 pm said:
    
    Read my Tuesday blog post for how my summer went, Vivian.
    
    I wish you good luck in the move. Are you going to keep blogging? And speaking? It’s a huge responsibility. I often think I should only blog on Fridays sometimes. 🙂
    
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Wendy Greenley on September 13, 2013 at 8:44 am said:

I wanted to get a signed copy of a Mr. Tiger at the NJ SCBWI when Peter spoke there but I wasn’t fast enough and they were ALL gone! Lucky all of you.

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:48 pm said:
  
  Oh, that’s a bummer! Maybe you can contact him and have him send you a signed one.:) He did a great art demo presentation for the kids.
  
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Patricia Tilton on September 13, 2013 at 9:09 am said:

What a fun and bold picture book with a great message. Vivian, your tiger would make a great dot for International Dot Day, Sep 15-ish. Many KidLit bloggers will post on Sunday and next week. Hope you post it again on your blog on Dot Day as this as it is such a creative idea. Still not too late to sign up — and you don’t even have to sign. Over a 1,225,274 kids have signed up to date. Hope you participate.

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:50 pm said:
  
  Hi Pat…so sorry to have missed Dot Day this year…I saw posts about it…and wanted to participate…but I am just so overwhelmed with the packing situation here. 225 boxes packed already…and dozens and dozens more to go. 😦
  
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Darshana on September 13, 2013 at 9:13 am said:

Great review. I like your tiger craft.

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:51 pm said:
  
  Thanks for stopping by, Darshana…I love paper plate crafts…fun and quick and inexpensive. 🙂
  
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Perfecting Motherhood on September 13, 2013 at 10:03 am said:

Oh, thanks for sharing! We loved Peter Brown’s illustrations in Creepy Carrots so I have to check what else he’s written and/or illustrated.

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- viviankirkfield on September 13, 2013 at 8:12 pm said:
  
  This one is lots of fun, Milka…not ‘dark humor’ like Creepy Carrots…great illustrations and wonderful story concepts.
  
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Julie Hedlund on September 13, 2013 at 10:38 am said:

Somehow I’m not surprised that three of us from the Tattered Cover visit selected Mr. Tiger Goes Wild this week! My favorite part of course was getting to meet you in person before you move away, Vivian. Good luck with your packing, move, etc. ROAR! 🙂

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:53 pm said:
  
  Thanks for the cheer-leading effort, Julie. I will keep the ROAR in mind as I look around the house in despair. 🙂 🙂 And you are so kind…I, too, was thrilled to finally meet the two Julies (sounds like the Three Tenors…do you guys sing by any chance? 🙂
  
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thiskidreviewsbooks on September 13, 2013 at 2:51 pm said:

Lucky you all! Meeting each other! (all though, it makes sense – you’re all in the same area…) This book sounds great – now, to read the other posters’ reviews! (this must be a record – 3 people posting the same book on the same day!)

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- viviankirkfield on September 13, 2013 at 3:05 pm said:
  
  That’s probably because we all heard Peter Brown read it…and loved it! It was cool to hear the author tell it in his own style.:)
  
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Joanna on September 13, 2013 at 3:37 pm said:

Isn’t it a thrill to meet the author-illustrator of a book we so admire! Love your tiger plate activity.

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- viviankirkfield on September 13, 2013 at 4:08 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Joanna…glad you liked the tiger plate! I will definitely make it with my grandson after we read the book. 🙂 I so enjoy reading about your NYC exploits on FB…my first real job was at the Brooklyn Public Library…great memories.:)
  
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Barbara G. on September 13, 2013 at 4:48 pm said:

LOVE the paper plate Tiger … intrigued by the book … wishing I’d have seen the author, too!

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- viviankirkfield on September 13, 2013 at 8:15 pm said:
  
  It was a great book event, Barbara. I learned a lot from watching Peter and how he managed his time and the audience…glad you like the craft…paper plates make a perfect base for so many crafts.:)
  
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Beth Stilborn on September 13, 2013 at 7:11 pm said:

Great review, Vivian. It sounds like a super book. I am sooooooo envious of you all, getting to meet each other, and so grateful the event wasn’t scheduled for THIS weekend. Hope you manage to stay safe and relatively dry. All the best with the move!

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- viviankirkfield on September 13, 2013 at 8:10 pm said:
  
  So true…the same thing happened the weekend our daughter was here…we all went to Manitou Springs and took the Cog Railway up to the Summit of Pikes Peak…walked around quaint Manitou Springs…and the next day there was a HUGE rainstorm and the town of Manitou Springs flooded…cars were carried down the street that became a torrent of a river.
  Had so much fun with Julie and Julie…it was great to meet them before I left Colorado…and Sheri and Stacy are part of my local critique group so it is always fun to see them. 🙂
  
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Tracy Campbell on September 14, 2013 at 2:46 pm said:

You’re blessed, Vivian to meet up with the gals and of course, spend time with Mr. Brown.
The tiger plate is lovely and a fun craft for kids of all “ages”. 🙂

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:55 pm said:
  
  Life has gotten so busy with the upcoming move, Tracy, that I have not been reading or commenting on other blogs…and barely writing my own. Will be back in the swing of things by mid-October. 🙂 Glad you like the craft!
  
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laurimeyers on September 14, 2013 at 9:04 pm said:

What a great picture with an all star cast from the kid lit world!

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:56 pm said:
  
  I felt quite fortunate to be there…it is an amazing community. 🙂
  
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readingwithrhythm on September 15, 2013 at 8:46 am said:

That’s a great picture of all you fine ladies! What a fun time you must have had! I’m jealous that you got to meet Mr Brown! I am a big fan. i wish he would come to Texas. Thanks for the fun things to do to go with the book!

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- viviankirkfield on September 18, 2013 at 5:57 pm said:
  
  Glad you liked the picture…it was such fun! The tiger paper plate craft is quick and easy…glad you liked it.
  
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Laura Anne Miller on September 16, 2013 at 1:48 pm said:

Oh, Vivian – just a tiny bit envious….okay,….a LOT envious of your get-together at the book store. How fun!! This looks like a book I MUST buy…and yes you must give drawing/painting/sketching a whirl. Come over to Doodle Day for some relaxing, fun, no pressure sharing. Super fun and a great group of people, pros, amateurs and just having fun folks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/285157148286597/ This month we’re working on character drawing. Most days are just random things and you don’t even have to draw what the prompt is – just draw and doodle and share if you want.

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