Never Trust a Tiger (CYBILS Nominee)

Well-told folktales are in short supply these days. So it's a happy occasion when one appears that's geared to beginning readers. Never Trust a Tiger is a Korean folktale that answers the age-old chestnut: Can a leopard change its spots? Only in this case it's a tiger's stripes. And the answer? Apparently not.

Told in six short chapters, the story begins with the tiger trapped in a pit. A passing merchant helps him out and the tiger repays the kindness by pouncing on the man and opening his jaws to devour him. The merchant protests, arguing that his good deed should be rewarded. The pair agree to let others be the judge. If the merchant is correct, the tiger will free him. If the tiger is right, GULP. 

An ox votes in favor for the tiger. A pine tree gives the nod to the merchant. Then a hare happens along and it is she who will decide the merchant's fate. Pretending not to understand the predicament, she tricks the tiger into showing her what happened. The tiger jumps back in the pit and.... Well, do I have to spell it out?

The tale is cleverly told, with one chapter leading seamlessly to the next, and the bold illustrations are done in an appropriately primitive style. Beginning readers craving more can also check out The Tortoise's Gift: A Story from Zambia, the first book in the series.

Never Trust a Tiger: A Story from Korea

Retold by Lari Dan

Illustrations by Melanie Williamson

Barefoot Books, 48 pages

Published: September, 2012

Spunky Tells All

How did I miss this one? Spunky Tells All, a beginning chapter book told from a dog's POV, was published in October 2011, yet somehow it slipped under my radar. I'm a sucker for dog books (as long as there is no chance of them dying. I have not and will not read Old Yeller.) and this one does not disappoint.

Readers familiar with Ann Cameron's previous books about Julian and Huey Bates (The Stories Julian Tells, among others) will rejoice to be reacquainted with the brothers, even though they aren't the focus. The book belongs to Spunky, the family's devoted dog whose snout gets out of joint when the Bates decide to adopt a cat. From his very first sniff, Spunky senses that Fiona reeks of Foolish. Fiona gets into one scrape after another, and Spunky, loyal dog that he is, bails her out of trouble, even if she does toss his kibbles on the floor and drink out of his water bowl. After a last, spectacular rescue, the two animals make peace and become friends.

Young readers will enjoy seeing the world from a dog's point of view. Like canines everywhere, the nose rules. When Spunky gets hold of one of Mr. Bates socks: "A sweet, ripe scent filled my nostrils. I opened my jaws. The sock went into my mouth. Thousands of tiny lights in my brain flashed in spangled colors." Spunky also has a unique way of describing things. The bathroom, for instance, is the White Pond Room.

Fair warning, for those who like fast-paced action, look elsewhere. The story takes a while to get underway and the first few chapters meander. But the wait is worth it. Once Fiona makes her appearance, Spunky has a worthy adversary and the story takes off.

Spunky Tells All
by Ann Cameron
illustrations by Lauren Castillo
Farrar Straus Giroux, 112 pages
Published: October 2011