Starred review from June 15, 2024
Everything changes when a dandelion lands on a tiger's tail. A grumpy tiger is "bear-y mischievous," much to the chagrin of his fellow forest dwellers. One day, a dandelion with a human face falls from the sky and becomes attached to Tiger's tail. After a raucous round of tail spinning fails to detach the cankerwort, the cantankerous feline soon realizes that his new friend is his opposite; Tail-Flower makes friends with the denizens of the woods and encourages him to perform acts of benevolence, creating goodwill along the way. As time passes, Tiger and Tail-Flower get closer. Tiger's orange fur turns white as snow, and Tail-Flower's vibrant yellow leaves start to become white poofs; Tail-Flower's face becomes lined, too. When Tiger and Tail-Flower get caught in a trap, Tail-Flower asks Tiger to blow. He does, and the dandelion's delicate tendrils spread all over the forest; Tail-Flower is dead. The other animals come together to mourn the loss of their beloved friend and to rescue and comfort Tiger. Translated from Korean, this beautiful fable explores the need for companionship and the inevitability of death. With a mix of panels and full-page spreads, Lee's loose, digital art makes fantastic use of the format, capturing both the exuberance of the good times and Tiger's grief. The narrative is bookended by an East Asian-presenting elder who eagerly tells the tale. A gorgeously told story of the people who come into your life for a reason. (Picture book. 6-8)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from July 8, 2024
Grumpy Tiger is persuaded into doing good deeds for his forest neighbors in this heartening picture book by Lee (The Red Fruit). Tiger wakes up one morning to discover that a dandelion with a human face is growing from the end of his tail. Despite Tiger’s best efforts, chatty and friendly Tail-Flower remains firmly attached to the appendage. At the bloom’s insistence, Tiger assists his woodland neighbors by accomplishing various tasks, such as saving Chicken’s egg from a far-off ledge and helping several critters cross a river. Soon, once-ostracized Tiger finds himself accepted by the other animals, an event that Lee depicts via nuanced facial expressions, which showcase Tiger’s surprise and delight. As the seasons change, so too do Tiger and Tail-Flower, both growing older, as evidenced by Tiger’s graying fur and Tail-Flower’s changing foliage (“We look so cool!” Tiger declares). After getting trapped in a precarious situation, Tiger and Tail-Flower must sacrifice something dear to them. In a mix of straightforward comics-style panels and animated spreads, Tiger and Tail-Flower’s adventures culminate in a thoughtful examination of friendship and grief that teems with tongue-in-cheek humor and joy. Ages 7–10.
September 15, 2024
Grades 2-4 Many moons ago, there lived a grumpy tiger. Little do the other animals know, he is only grumpy because he is lonely and bored. One morning he wakes to find a dandelion growing from the end of his tail. Tail-Flower calls him Nureongi (a typical Korean nickname for a dog), and whenever Tiger tries to be mean, Tail-Flower jumps in and helps, whether by lowering down a cliff to rescue a fallen egg or stretching the tail across a stream to help woodland creatures cross. Tiger and Tail-Flower slowly become dear friends, even turning white together as they age. This graphic novel-style picture book for early readers takes its time building up the eponymous friendship, but the payoff is ultimately satisfying. The digitally rendered artwork is a mix of panels, splash pages, and rich double-page spreads that move the story along well. The swooping hand-lettering without the use of speech bubbles makes no visual differentiation between spoken text or sound effects like scratch and swoosh, which is a fun and unexpected treat for the eye and the brain.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.