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Camp tiger / written by Susan Choi ; illustrated by John Rocco.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : G. P. Putnam's Sons, [2019]Description: 40 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 29 cmISBN:
  • 9780399173295
  • 0399173293
Subject(s): Summary: Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond. Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire. But this year is different. This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all... this year, a tiger comes to the woods.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Juvenile Book Phillipsburg Free Public Library Juvenile Easy Reader Juvenile Easy Reader JE CHO Available 36748002447565
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Six Starred Reviews!

Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of 2019

A 2019 New York Public Library Best Book for Kids

Imagination meets reality in this poetic and tender ode to childhood, illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner, John Rocco.

Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond.

Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire.

But this year is different. This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all . . . this year, a tiger comes to the woods.

With lyrical prose and dazzling art, Pulitzer Prize finalist Susan Choi and Caldecott-honor winning artist John Rocco have created a moving and joyful ode to growing up.

Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond. Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire. But this year is different. This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all... this year, a tiger comes to the woods.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Making her children's book debut, Pulitzer Prize finalist Choi (American Woman) pairs with Caldecott Honor-Award illustrator Rocco (Noah Builds an Ark) to deliver a numinous story about a family camping trip. On the way to a remote campsite at Mountain Pond, the narrator warily ruminates about starting first grade. But his negative thoughts dissipate when a smallish tiger emerges from the woods and asks if the family has an extra tent, explaining, "I have a cave, but I still feel cold." The serene animal seems to cast a palliative spell: after the father unhesitatingly sets up a second tent, the boy follows the tiger inside and, in one of Rocco's many evocative pictures, the two curl up together ("He smells like sunshine and pine needles"). The animal guides the family as they hike and canoe, adventures portrayed in stunning panoramas, including one in which the family stands on a high overlook alongside the majestic tiger. In a final, dreamlike adventure, the animal takes the boy on a stargazing expedition, cementing a bond that's reinforced in the conclusion to this resonant tale of family connectedness, burgeoning independence, and embracing the new and unknown. Author's agent: Lynn Nesbit, Janklow & Nesbit. Illustrator's agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management. Ages 4-6. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-A tiger joins a young boy and his family as they enjoy a camping weekend in the mountains. It creeps out of the woods while they are making camp and asks whether they have an extra tent where he can take shelter from the cold. The boy and tiger spend the night together, and the creature remains throughout the weekend, even joining the family on a fishing excursion. On the last night, the animal takes the boy out in the canoe. They lie on their backs, gazing at the stars, until his parents lift the youngster into their tent. Alert readers will notice several hints that the tiger is an imaginary comfort creature, conjured up by the young narrator who is afraid of going into first grade and becoming more independent like his older brother. The tiger is small and "starts acting like a cat-a more regular cat." The boy even tells the animal that tigers don't live in the mountains. The mixed media illustrations are stunning. Rocco's cover image of the tiger, yellow eyes staring out at readers, is so huge its head seems to form a road for the hiking family. On one spread, the boy and tiger are curled up together, one large C encircling a smaller one. Back at home, wearing tiger-striped pajamas, the boy draws his imaginary friend "before [he] forget[s]." VERDICT This beautiful paring of text and illustrations is an excellent choice for group sharing and can spark discussion about ways to cope with new situations.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

A young boy, his older brother, and their parents head to the woods for their annual end-of-summer weekend camping trip. Looking forward to fishing, hiking, canoeing, and observing the usual woodland critters, they are taken aback when a small, thin tiger enters their campsite and asks if they have an extra tent he can use. Though the boy is anxious about entering first grade upon their return home, a talking tiger doesn't faze him at all. Over the weekend, the whole family spends time with the animal, but it's the youngest who forms an immediate bond. As he draws stripes on his face and explores with his new companion, the heretofore apprehensive child discovers a new boldness. Caldecott Honor Book author-illustrator Rocco's stunning paintings feature a range of perspectives and a variety of sizes, including vignettes and single- and double-page spreads. They are filled with the warm browns and lush greens of the forest and the beautiful blues of the lake and the night sky. The tiger's fur appears soft and warm, and the realistic water looks cool and refreshing. Several illustrations are placed on a pure white backdrop, allowing the paintings to leap off the pages. Youngsters will thrill at the possibilities presented in Pulitzer finalist Choi's tale, which combines fantasy with the everyday.--Maryann Owen Copyright 2019 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A little boy finds his inner tiger in this lyrical picture-book debut by Choi, an award-winning author for adults.Narrated in a thoughtful, meandering voice that mimics a long scenic drive into the mountains, a boy, his older brother, and their parents travel to a camping site at Mountain Pond, which is "like a mirror in the trees." Throughout the trip the boy vocalizes his apprehensions about growing up and becoming a first-grader, saying he "liked kindergarten" and misses "things my mom used to do for me." Suddenly everyone is struck silent when a tiger approaches from the temperate forest, asking for an extra tent to sleep in. The boy and the tiger quickly connect. Soon the tiger becomes the personification of the growing inner courage of the boy, participating in all the activities. The boy accomplishes new milestones: catching his first fish, steering the canoe well, and striking out on his own. Rocco provides illustrations with a cool color scheme and dramatic details. Elongated sentences demand that readers linger on each page drinking in every detail of the tiger's striking portraits. There is a slight disconnect in tone between the whimsy of the text and the realism of the illustrations, but it is a small price to pay. The boys appear Asian or biracial Asian/white.A multilayered coming-of-age story filled with exquisitely executed art. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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