10/26/2015
Tiger and Badger love each other, but they argue a lot—loudly. Each wears a dramatic dress-up hat, and they play in a flowered meadow furnished with assorted chairs and a dresser. When Badger’s stuffed toy Bad Monkey gets stuck in a tree, the two become allies: “Okay. We can use my spatula,” says Badger. “And the books. And my chair,” adds Tiger, who holds Badger so she can flick Bad Monkey out of the tree. But soon it’s back to trouble as they clash about what to do next. “Tiger throws himself on the ground. He is so sad and mad.” Gay (the Stella and Sam series) uses delicate ink-and-wash drawings to find humor in all kinds of places, from the scribbled black clouds that hang over the heads of the friends when they’re angry to the movements of sky and birds that mirror the emotional flow of their exchanges. Jenkins (A Fine Dessert), meanwhile, nails the high-intensity, high-energy nature of Tiger and Badger’s friendship as her story zigzags from selfishness to sharing, offense to reconciliation, tantrum to teamwork. Ages 2–5. (Feb.)
Jenkins’ text captures the dynamics of children’s play (and their peer-to-peer relationships) with precision, humor, and style. Kids will enjoy watching the characters mouth off and act out with abandon, knowing that all will end well...Great for reading aloud, this picture book portrays childhood friendships in a witty, perceptive fashion.
—Booklist (starred review)
A very funny and fine tribute to a very young friendship.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Gay (the Stella and Sam series) uses delicate ink-and-wash drawings to find humor in all kinds of places...Jenkins (A Fine Dessert), meanwhile, nails the high-intensity, high-energy nature of Tiger and Badger’s friendship as her story zigzags from selfishness to sharing, offense to reconciliation, tantrum to teamwork.
—Publishers Weekly
While picture books centering on pals coping with disagreements are common, this gentle and quirky addition is sure to please. A lighthearted yet spot-on look at friendship from a child’s point of view.
—School Library Journal
In her brief, clear narrative, Jenkins presents, with keen precision, the kind of antagonizing behavior in which youthful friends engage...Gay’s art, in watercolor, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, and pencil, effectively captures both the motion and emotion of the furry friends.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
12/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—Jenkins and Gay describe the ups and downs of a friendship between two adorable animals. Simple and repetitive, the dialogue-heavy text rings true. Tiger and Badger argue over who gets to sit in a particular chair, who gets the last popsicle, and whether their stuffed monkey is really a monster, and their exchanges will elicit knowing smiles from parents. The two always manage to make up, however, even when their latest fight leaves both of them lying on the ground howling. The exuberant loose-lined watercolor, acrylic, and pencil illustrations are cartoonlike, with plenty of motion lines and dark clouds that appear over characters' heads to indicate anger. The visuals reinforce the mood in other ways, too; for instance, after Tiger and Badger's big fight, the two are depicted on different sides of the spread, staring accusingly at each other. Jenkins and Gay display an intuitive understanding of a child's mentality, from the chaotic look and feel of the outdoor landscape—haphazardly dotted with trees, grazing cows, chairs, and toys—to the range of emotions that Tiger and Badger experience. The pair go quickly from frustration to tears and tantrums, but they are just as fast to forgive each other. VERDICT While picture books centering on pals coping with disagreements are common, this gentle and quirky addition is sure to please. A lighthearted yet spot-on look at friendship from a child's point of view.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal
★ 2015-11-03
Tiger and Badger are very young—maybe 4—and they are best friends, doing as best friends do. When Badger finds Tiger in her chair, eating her orange slices, Badger points out with impeccable logic that she was in that chair, before. Then Badger and Tiger (and Bad Monkey, a stuffie of uncertain provenance) want a Popsicle. But there is only one Popsicle. Badger eats all of it. Tiger is furious at her, and Bad Monkey gets thrown up into a tree, leading to this classic exchange: " ‘You're mean,' says Tiger. ‘You ate the whole thing.' ‘No, you're mean,' says Badger. ‘You threw Bad Monkey up high.' ‘No, you're mean,' says Tiger. ‘You made me throw Bad Monkey.' / ‘Fine.' " However, with the help of a spatula, some books, and that chair, the friends eventually cooperate. Bad Monkey is rescued, and then there is an episode of pushing, tail-pulling, and a lot of yelling. Then there are funny faces and laughing. They are best friends. The pictures, in watercolor, acrylic, and pencil, are a mosaic of tiny, exquisite details of leaves, branches, fruit, flowers, birds, and toys in a slightly surreal landscape of hills and trees and sunlight. Tiger's whiskers seem always to be blowing in the wind, and Badger exudes a comfortable, if pointy-nosed, solidity. A very funny and fine tribute to a very young friendship. (Picture book. 4-7)
