Mr Tiger Goes Wild: Book review

Being polite, and proper and disciplined is the adult way to do this. You are dressed well, you know your table manners and “do not act like wild animals.” But not children. Children don’t want to be well-behaved. They don’t want to sit quietly in place, and talk only when talked to. They want to skip, hop, stomp, jump and act like wild animals. So does Mr. Tiger. In a world that reminds you of the Victorian era, all the animals wear suits, ties and hats and walk on two legs, Mr. Tiger wants to loosen up, have fun and be wild.

One day he gives in to his natural instinct to be wild. His prim and proper neighbours are shocked and don’t know what to think of his radical and irregular behavior. Mr. Tiger roars, jumps, swims and has a really good time being himself. A few envy Mr Tiger this fun. But most are not amused. He becomes wilder and wilder until one day he is asked to leave.

“If you must act wild, kindly do so in the wilderness,” his friends tell him. So Mr. Tiger goes into the wilderness, where he is free to be himself. But he misses his friends and his home and decides to come back.

Mr. Tiger will resonate with children who dislikes rules made by society, by adults, teachers and schools. Children want to talk and communicate. They want to learn but freely. It is not natural for children to sit in a classroom quietly.  Movement is a normal part of childhood.

Author and illustrator Peter Brown beautifully establishes the mundane with blocks of brown, grey and black. The buildings, the streets and all the other animals are appropriately dressed in these dull shades while the free spirit of Mr. Tiger is that flash of yellow in each of the pages. Until Mr. Tiger breaks free of all the rules, regally yellow across a double spread, looking straight at you. The wilderness also has patches of vibrant green and blue.

But the ending feels abrupt, almost forced. Mr. Tiger comes back and sees that things have begun to change and he can be himself amid his friends and neighbours. But what brought about this change in such a closed society? Did his wild behavior inspire others to change? Did other animals see the benefit of playing and having fun?

The book is worth reading for the message of “It is important to have fun” and “Be your natural self”.  For my two-year-old the illustrations offered rich detail. But she did not engage with the story much, perhaps because she is still free from any structure, schedules and rules. Perhaps older children (3 to 6 years) will enjoy the book.