Tiger and Badger by Emily Jenkins (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Tiger and Badger by Emily Jenkins Jeannette Hulick Jenkins, Emily Tiger and Badger; illus. by Marie-Louise Gay. Candlewick, 2016 [32p] ISBN 978-0-7636-6604-0 $15.99 Reviewed from galleys R 4-6 yrs Badger and Tiger are best friends, but can that friendship stay intact through the typical sniping (who gets to sit in the chair, who gets the only popsicle, who gets to decide what to play) and the occasional physical spat between two young buddies? Well, yes, it can. Refreshingly, it’s not thoughtful apologies or adult intervention that bring the pair back together, but humor, as Tiger pulls a funny face and makes Badger laugh, which breaks the tension and allows the anger to pass. In her brief, clear narrative, Jenkins presents, with keen precision, the kind of antagonizing behavior in which youthful friends engage: “Tiger puts on Badger’s hat. He sits in Badger’s chair. He eats two of Badger’s orange slices. ‘That’s my chair,’ says Badger. ‘I was sitting there,’ says Badger. ‘I was sitting there before you came.’ Tiger eats another orange slice. And another.” While this will make an entertaining readaloud selection, the simple vocabulary and frequent use of repetition will put this within reach of many novice readers as well. Gay’s art, in watercolor, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, and pencil, effectively captures both the motion and emotion of the furry friends, with lively body positions and swirly lines conveying movement and mood and occasional dark, scribbly anger clouds appearing above each figure’s head to add emphasis at times. Pair this with Kirk’s You Are Not My Friend, but I Miss You (BCCB 1/15) for a story session about friends making up after a fight, or pair up primary-graders to buddy read with it. Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois