Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

I'm usually not at the forefront of the picture book world.  I try to keep up, but I usually don't.  But when fall comes around and I know we're heading toward the ALA awardsI start following some blogs like Fuse#8 and Calling Caldecott more closely.  I really, really want to have read the winner when those awards come around.  One of the books I've ben hearing some buzz about this year is the  whimsical Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown. Interestingly, I was just in a Twitter Chat where Peter Brown was interviewed last week, and then the very next day I got this book from the library - I didn't even know it was the same person until I opened the book and then I knew immediately.  The universe was putting me on a path.

From the Publisher: Are you bored with being so proper? Do you want to have more fun? Mr. Tiger knows exactly how you feel. So he decides to go wild. But does he go too far? From Caldecott Honor artist Peter Brown comes a story that shows there's a time and place for everything...even going wild.

Pros: Like in Creepy Carrots, Brown uses color carefully and sparingly.  Children will pick up on this, and I will be interested to watch their faces as they move through this book from nearly monochromatic city pictures to the colorful jungle pictures.  I think it could be a fascinating scientific study. Children will no doubt relate to times when they would rather be wild but have to conform. 

Cons: I think the text could have been more developed. It isn't lacking, exactly, but I think it had the possibility to be stronger with a little bit more text. If you look at my previous entry about Journey, though, you'll know I'm kind of biased toward text, so maybe it's just me! That's a pretty teeny con, though.

This is Mr. Tiger made all of Legos by Jonathan Lopes, the Senior Production Manager at Little, Brown.  Thanks to Betsy Bird for the link.