Through the Looking Glass Book Reviews: The TTLG2011 Picture Book Celebration

Welcome!

Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and thirty

Every so often I come across a picture book in which the text and artwork combine perfectly to create a book that is a true work of art. Today's picture book is just such a title, and it would make a great gift for readers of all ages because its message is truly timeless and ageless.

The Dancing tiger

Malachy Doyle

Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Penguin, 2005, 0-670-06020-8

One night, when the summer moon is full, a little girl sees a tiger dancing in the woods near her house. She goes to investigate, and when he realizes that she is watching him the big and beautiful animal “gasp in fright.” The girl is also afraid but the “laughter in his lightening eyes” makes her realize that the tiger is not a danger to her. The tiger invites her to join him on the nights of the full moon as long as she keeps him a secret.

The girl is glad to keep the dancing tiger a secret, and every month, for just one night, she joins her friend in the woods to dance in the moonlight. They dance through spring flowers, autumn leaves, and in the snow, for year after year. Then there comes a time when the girl is no longer a girl, and her secret has to be passed on.

This magical book will take young readers into a moonlit world where two friends enjoy precious hours in each other’s company. The rhyming text is perfectly paired with Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher’s gorgeous and softly colored paintings.