Tetri, Emily. Tiger Vs. Nightmare. First Second, 2018. $17.99. 64p. ISBN 978-1-62672-535-5. Ages 6-10. P8Q8
“Monster is my friend,” Tiger tells her tiger parents in this graphic novel. Her parents think that Tiger is making up the monster, but Monster is real—playing with Tiger at night and scaring off all the nightmares so that Tiger can sleep peacefully. When Monster becomes afraid of her own nightmare, however, it is Tiger’s turn to protect her friend. Watercolors and pencil work in the panels and full-page spreads go from the warm yellows and oranges of daytime to the deep blues of night.
Verdict: This charming book presents multiple themes of friendship, victory over fears, cooperation, loyalty, and bravery. A bonus is that the parent Tiger calls “Dad” does most of the caregiving, and the gender of the other parent is unidentified. The nightmare monsters depicted might be a bit much, but the ending shows success at quashing them.
December 2018 review by Nel Ward.
Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center 