Just out! • Charlesbridge • Ages 4-8
Books make everything better.
Story: Being a bookstore tiger is hard work. There’s much patrolling, and a lot of sitting in laps at story hour, and then there’s sleeping in the window display. But Raj is up to the task. He is fierce and proud—until Snowball comes along. The new cat in the bookstore informs Raj that he’s just a marmalade kitty-cat. Times get tough, then, for the bookstore tiger. But bookstore and Raj owner Felicity, with the help of poet William Blake, knows how to fix things. In turn, with a very special book, Raj is able to fix things with Snowball.
Story behind the story: I had the pleasure of corresponding with author Kathleen T. Pelley and asked her a few questions about how this book came to be. Here's what she had to say: "As a little girl, growing up in Scotland, I fell in love with stories before I could read or write, by listening to the children's Story Hour on the BBC. Today I continue to share that passion for words, not just by writing stories, but also by reading aloud to children at an inner city elementary school.
My latest picture book, RAJ THE BOOKSTORE TIGER, is a story that celebrates the power of reading aloud. Raj, a marmalade kitty cat, who is convinced that he is a tiger, begins to doubt himself when a visiting cat mocks his "tigerness." Fortunately, his owner, Felicity Fotheringham, a lover of words and books, knows just the right poem to read aloud to Raj, "Tyger! Tyger! burning bright..." As children's book author Jane Yolen wrote, "Adult books maintain lives, children's books change lives." To all the Felicity Fotheringhams who open books to young readers (and tigers) and "change lives"...thank you."
My latest picture book, RAJ THE BOOKSTORE TIGER, is a story that celebrates the power of reading aloud. Raj, a marmalade kitty cat, who is convinced that he is a tiger, begins to doubt himself when a visiting cat mocks his "tigerness." Fortunately, his owner, Felicity Fotheringham, a lover of words and books, knows just the right poem to read aloud to Raj, "Tyger! Tyger! burning bright..." As children's book author Jane Yolen wrote, "Adult books maintain lives, children's books change lives." To all the Felicity Fotheringhams who open books to young readers (and tigers) and "change lives"...thank you."
Kirkus Reviews praised the work: "Nice nourishment for the blossoming bookworm." Be sure to check out this activity guide and watch the trailer:
<
0 Comments on Raj the Bookstore Tiger • Picture book as of 1/1/1900
Add a Comment