Raj the Bookstore Tiger

K-Gr 3—Raj, a handsome marmalade cat with a golden coat and chocolate stripes, believes he is a tiger. His owner, Felicity Fotheringham, has given him a real tiger's name and introduces him at storytime as "our very own bookstore tiger." When an employee brings his cat to the bookstore, Snowball quickly becomes the top feline, sprawling and smirking from a child's lap. Worst of all, he says Raj is no tiger, just a plain old kitty-cat. Felicity wisely reads aloud William Blake's tiger poem over and over again, restoring her pet's confidence. The next morning, despite Snowball's hisses and scowls, Raj is his old self again. A visiting author from India calls him a little tiger, and Felicity agrees. With great kindness, Raj shows Snowball a picture of a white tiger in a book, and the two little tigers make the rounds together. Illustrations done in watercolors and colored pencil bring the bookstore and its inhabitants to life. Youngsters will wish they could be part of Felicity's storytime with a marmalade cat in their laps. Raj's self-esteem issues will resonate with youngsters and spark discussions.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN