The Tiger Child

Joanna Troughton excels at retelling and illustrating traditional stories. In this, her latest contribution to the 'Folk Tales of the World' series, she takes as her inspiration a story from Orissa (India). When Tiger's cooking fire goes out he sends his small nephew to fetch more fire from the village people. But, like all youngsters, the Tiger Child is easily distracted and when he reaches the village, he cannot remember why he is there. The villagers' pampering and petting - a bowl of milk, a tasty fish, a snooze on a soft cushion and having his fur combed - do nothing to jog his memory and soon Tiger's nephew is lost to him forever. The village, paddy field and jungle scenes are illustrated in lush and earthy tones and convey the heat and atmosphere of this part of India, its people and animals.