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The Tiger Who Came for Dinner

Illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
10.88"W x 9.38"H x 0.39"D   | 16 oz | 20 per carton
On sale Mar 14, 2023 | 32 Pages | 9781664300224
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell L
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The Tiger Who Came for Dinner, the fourth book in the successful series that began with The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, celebrates the value of friends and family and encourages children to challenge stereotypes.

When Wolf, Little Lamb, and their pet alligator, Omelet, find a little tiger by the river, they want to keep her. But Wolf tells them that the tiger’s family must be nearby, so they set off to find them. Everyone they meet on their journey thinks the tiger is so adorable—but Omelet the alligator isn’t so sure. And when they finally find the little tiger’s family, they discover that the tigers had their own plan all along! Perfect for reading aloud at story time.
 
A lost tiger cub is fluffy, cuddly, and…conniving.

Readers were introduced to the odd household trio—paternal Wolf, childlike Little Lamb, and their alligator, Omelet—in Smallman’s previous works (The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, 2006, etc.). Omelet has since grown and now loves to play fetch. Unfortunately, sometimes he brings back other items instead of the stick. When he triumphantly brings back a sopping wet tiger cub one day, Little Lamb is thrilled. A new, cuddly pet! But alas, they cannot keep her. They must help her find her way back home. On the journey back through the woods, Fluffy the cub becomes increasingly interested in Little Lamb. She eagerly licks Little Lamb while salivating, with expressive eyes that reveal how much she wants a tasty snack. Little Lamb and Wolf think the attention is adorable, but Omelet sees through the ruse. When they make it to Fluffy’s home, will Little Lamb become dinner? Little Lamb’s and Wolf’s obliviousness amps up the silliness, eliciting groans from readers, who will be well aware of Fluffy’s true feelings. Omelet may not be a fuzzy or cute pet (slippery scales and pointy teeth and all), but he’s a devoted one who saves the day. Making use of vignettes and graphic novel–esque panels, Dreidemy’s cartoonish illustrations brim with warmth. Text and art make crystal-clear that found family can be the best family. 

A sly tale of trickery and familial bonds. (Picture book. 3-6) --Kirkus Reviews

In a deceptively sweet-seeming tale with both figurative and literal teeth, Smallman and Dreidemy depict a loving, if unconventional, family: Wolf, Little Lamb, and Omelet, their doglike alligator. It's Omelet who comes trotting out of the woods bearing not the usual stick but an adorably fluffy tiger cub. Awww. Time to take the silent, big-eyed tyke back to its no doubt worried family. Only Omelet notices the rather predatory way Fluffy cozies up to mice, fish, and even Little Lamb along the way, and so is poised to come to the rescue with a terrifying SNAP! when the tiger cub summons its delighted parents with a sudden shout of “MOM, DAD. I’M HOME! AND I’VE BROUGHT . . . DINNER!” Variations on the titular play on words has seen long service for tales with benevolent final twists; consider this as a deliciously thrilling surprise for storytime audiences set up by the likes of Ken Brown’s What’s the Time, Grandma Wolf? (2001), Margery Cuyler’s Skeleton for Dinner (2013), or Jessica Olien’s When a Tiger Comes to Dinner (2019). --Booklist
Steve Smallman has taken up writing his own stories after illustrating children's books for more than 30 years. He also teaches illustration and mural-painting workshops in schools. When he's not working, Steve enjoys movies, television, gardening, and walking in the countryside.

Joëlle Dreidemy was born in Saint-Avold in France. She lives and works in France, producing illustrations for magazines and children's books.

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About

The Tiger Who Came for Dinner, the fourth book in the successful series that began with The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, celebrates the value of friends and family and encourages children to challenge stereotypes.

When Wolf, Little Lamb, and their pet alligator, Omelet, find a little tiger by the river, they want to keep her. But Wolf tells them that the tiger’s family must be nearby, so they set off to find them. Everyone they meet on their journey thinks the tiger is so adorable—but Omelet the alligator isn’t so sure. And when they finally find the little tiger’s family, they discover that the tigers had their own plan all along! Perfect for reading aloud at story time.
 

Praise

A lost tiger cub is fluffy, cuddly, and…conniving.

Readers were introduced to the odd household trio—paternal Wolf, childlike Little Lamb, and their alligator, Omelet—in Smallman’s previous works (The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, 2006, etc.). Omelet has since grown and now loves to play fetch. Unfortunately, sometimes he brings back other items instead of the stick. When he triumphantly brings back a sopping wet tiger cub one day, Little Lamb is thrilled. A new, cuddly pet! But alas, they cannot keep her. They must help her find her way back home. On the journey back through the woods, Fluffy the cub becomes increasingly interested in Little Lamb. She eagerly licks Little Lamb while salivating, with expressive eyes that reveal how much she wants a tasty snack. Little Lamb and Wolf think the attention is adorable, but Omelet sees through the ruse. When they make it to Fluffy’s home, will Little Lamb become dinner? Little Lamb’s and Wolf’s obliviousness amps up the silliness, eliciting groans from readers, who will be well aware of Fluffy’s true feelings. Omelet may not be a fuzzy or cute pet (slippery scales and pointy teeth and all), but he’s a devoted one who saves the day. Making use of vignettes and graphic novel–esque panels, Dreidemy’s cartoonish illustrations brim with warmth. Text and art make crystal-clear that found family can be the best family. 

A sly tale of trickery and familial bonds. (Picture book. 3-6) --Kirkus Reviews

In a deceptively sweet-seeming tale with both figurative and literal teeth, Smallman and Dreidemy depict a loving, if unconventional, family: Wolf, Little Lamb, and Omelet, their doglike alligator. It's Omelet who comes trotting out of the woods bearing not the usual stick but an adorably fluffy tiger cub. Awww. Time to take the silent, big-eyed tyke back to its no doubt worried family. Only Omelet notices the rather predatory way Fluffy cozies up to mice, fish, and even Little Lamb along the way, and so is poised to come to the rescue with a terrifying SNAP! when the tiger cub summons its delighted parents with a sudden shout of “MOM, DAD. I’M HOME! AND I’VE BROUGHT . . . DINNER!” Variations on the titular play on words has seen long service for tales with benevolent final twists; consider this as a deliciously thrilling surprise for storytime audiences set up by the likes of Ken Brown’s What’s the Time, Grandma Wolf? (2001), Margery Cuyler’s Skeleton for Dinner (2013), or Jessica Olien’s When a Tiger Comes to Dinner (2019). --Booklist

Author

Steve Smallman has taken up writing his own stories after illustrating children's books for more than 30 years. He also teaches illustration and mural-painting workshops in schools. When he's not working, Steve enjoys movies, television, gardening, and walking in the countryside.

Joëlle Dreidemy was born in Saint-Avold in France. She lives and works in France, producing illustrations for magazines and children's books.