Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The adage "forewarned is forearmed" rings true in this charming tale that appeals to the stubborn inner child in everyone. Horowitz (The Ugly Pumpkin) speaks volumes through a marriage of rhyming, witty text and wacky illustrations, especially the clever die-cut cover of this paper-over-board book, literally showcasing a tiger's open mouth. When birds-of-a-feather friends Chirp and Burp receive news of the imminent arrival of a tiger, they choose to ignore the sage advice of a fellow bird ("Listen... if you wish to be healthy and live a long while;/ Always beware of a tiger who smiles!"). Horowitz's less-than-subtle humor shines forth with newspaper headlines trumpeting the tiger's appearance, plastered all over the windows of the very bus on which he rides, and the striped cat's halo as he vows never to eat the quivering birds. Once the beaked buddies realize his true intentions, the birds suddenly get smart ("It just goes to show you can't trust your eyes, for a tiger who smiles will also tell lies"). Until the arrival of the next predator. Parents of children who must always see things for themselves will surely appreciate this knowing tale. Ages 4-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Two silly birds ignore a warning about a tiger coming to their city. The tiger promises them he's honorable, does a song and dance to gain their trust, and finally tries to eat them. The bold, colorful cut-paper, charcoal, and colored-pencil illustrations in simple shapes are more satisfying than is the slight rhyming (but sometimes it's a stretch) text. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Horowitz gives an ancient cautionary fable a modern urban setting, jazzed up with a toothy, die-cut open mouth on the cover. Two little birds, sitting on a curb snacking from a can of gourmet worms, laugh off a warning that a tiger is coming. Then the bus pulls up, and off steps a smiling tiger with sinister mustachios, who dances and sings as his smile grows wider and wider, until, "Well, what do you know? / You just can't trust a tiger!" Placing cut-paper figures against bright monochrome backgrounds, Horowitz keeps the visuals as simple as the plot--but adds a twist at the end by allowing the birds not only to survive, but to triumph thanks to a special friend: "never trust a tiger's smile . . . unless you know a crocodile!" The author recommends that this be read in a "New York accent," but its point will be evident to most readers without the hint. (Picture book/folktale. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
