The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo
…sweetly mysterious…Rocco's art gives an emotionally astute story even more depth.
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/04/2019
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)
From the Publisher
Praise for Camp Tiger:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Six Starred Reviews!
A 2019 Booklist Editors’ Choice
Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of 2019
A 2019 New York Public Library Best Book for Kids
★ "Caldecott Honoree Rocco's stunning paintings feature a range of perspectives...allowing [them] to leap off the pages. Youngsters will thrill at the possibilities presented in Pulitzer Prize–winner Choi’s tale, which combines fantasy with the everyday."—Booklist, starred review
★ "A multilayered coming-of-age story filled with exquisitely executed art."—Kirkus, starred review
★ "[A] resonant tale of family connectedness, burgeoning independence, and embracing the new and unknown."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "The mixed media illustrations are stunning. 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."—The School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Leaves readers with a sense of quiet wonderment.” –BookPage, starred review
★ "Youngsters will welcome this fantasy-touched acknowledgment of the challenges of growing up.” –The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“A moving story about a young boy finding his independent spirit.” —Shelf Awareness
"Stunning watercolor illustrations highlight a child’s growing independence." —New York Public Library
School Library Journal
★ 05/01/2019
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
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-02-17
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)
