Review by Booklist Review
This involving picture book is in the same silly camp as If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Here, the narrator informs a little gray mouse living in a city apartment that a tiger is coming to dinner right now. Big bold black letters ask him, Are you ready? The startled-looking fellow drops his marker to read a hefty guide entitled How to Impress a Tiger, while the narrator professes himself a tiger expert. Mouse and readers move through a series of hilarious how-to's, starting with what games to set out, what food to serve, and then, as the tiger is just about at the door, letting us know that a roar is hello in tiger. Of course, all the advice is wrong, but despite a bad start, the evening turns into a good time. Olien delivers one-dimensional, boldly colored, comics-style illustrations, crowded with fun details, which heighten both the tension and the fun. Embedded in this hilariously inaccurate etiquette guide is a sound message about the dangers of making assumptions about tigers (and people) one hasn't yet met.--Connie Fletcher Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A mouse is eager to please in this goofy tale by Olien (Right Now). With a very large cat coming for dinner, a mouse consults How to Impress a Tiger and seeks to follow the book's instructions on how to welcome the feline. The stakes are high-tigers "can be very scary if you don't do everything just right"-and Mouse becomes visibly uncertain as the expert offers tips. Nevertheless, the earnest host prepares accordingly as it learns that while tigers love peanut butter sandwiches, hats, and Go Fish, they enjoy neither party hats nor checkers. The book even teaches the host how to greet a tiger ("Rooooaaaarrrr!"). At last the guest arrives. But when Mouse opens the door with a fearsome, crazy-eyed growl, the less-than-welcoming effect results in a tearful tiger. Turns out tigers aren't so different from mice. Featuring thick black lines and flat, bold colors, Olien's cartoon illustrations create a playfully realistic portrait of pre-dinner-party jitters, making the event's eventual success all the more winning. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
What do tigers like to do at dinner parties?A cautious mouse is getting ready to entertain a tiger and thinks that the key to its success is in a book entitled: How to Impress a Tiger. The mouse feels quite prepared, in spite of some early nervousness, and it puts a record on the turntable (waithave young readers seen this device before?), mixes punch, and festoons its home with party decorations. When the tiger enters, the mouse roars, thinking " Rooooaaaarrrr!' means hello,' " and does as the book suggests: "When you say Hello,' put your hands up like claws and show your teeth. That is the polite greeting." Unfortunately, the friendly tiger at the door is quite scared and screams in large letters: "AHHHHHHH!" She's ready to turn tail, but the mouse immediately works to save the situation, consulting the manual once again and finding that now, somehow, the advice is just the opposite. The diligent host has been correct about the peanut-butter sandwiches but soon learns as well that greeting the tiger nicely and giving her the chance to play checkers and wear a polka-dot party hat will make her your friend for life. Heavy black outlines and flat blocks of color show off the mouse's cozy home to advantage in what look like digital illustrations. The book's tongue-in-cheek premise provides read-aloud fun and opportunities for some good roars.An optional purchase that can be used effectively in groups in schools or libraries. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
