Review: Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright by Fiona Waters

It's still National Poetry Month, and I'm still celebrating and celebrating. Today's read has been around for a couple of years, now, and is still going strong. It is for younger readers (picture book age range) and has a short poem about different animals for every day of the year. I was more than curious and am happy I got my hands on a copy.

So, for all of those little (and big) animal lovers out there... 

TIGER, TIGER, BURNING BRIGHT!

An Animal Poem For Every Day of the year

by Fiona Waters

Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

Candlewick Press

Children's Poetry

328 pages

ages 3 to 7

Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright! is a lavishly illustrated collection of 366 animal poems—one for every day of the year. Filled with favorites and new discoveries written by a wide variety of poets, including William Blake, Christina Rosetti, Carl Sandburg, Grace Nichols, Matsuo Basho, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Lewis Carroll, Emily Dickinson, and many more. This is the perfect book for children (and grown-ups!) to share at the beginning or end of the day.

A lavishly illustrated collection of 366 animal poems—one for every day of the year! The perfect book for children (and grown-ups!) to share at the beginning or end of the day.

AMAZON   /   B&N    /    BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

I'm not a huge poetry fan, but do enjoy reading good poetry every now and then. So, the idea of a poem a day hit me with either a strong yea or nay. This collection won me over so much so that it's going to join a spot on my bookshelf.

The cover already sparks interest with its capturing, tiger's gaze. It does a wonderful job at setting the tone for the many poems to come, and does fit the type of illustrations found through this collection. I'm going to start with the illustrations because these are a treat as much as the poems themselves. The artwork portrays a more natural direction, keeping the animals in a more realistic direction, and yet, the touch of art is still present. While carrying an overall similar style, the illustrations hold variety and hint at texture, making each one enjoyable to discover and revisit. So, this is already a lovely collection on that end.

The book is broken up into twelve months. At the beginning of each month, there's a list of the poems and authors with the corresponding date. Each two-page spread holds one to four poems, and these do hold with the illustrations as well as the dates. Every poem highlights a different animal. They come from a various authors, cover various types of poetry, and represent everything from modern poems to traditional rhymes. So, expect a bit of everything from every direction to make a diverse mix. Some of them are serious, others invoke thought, and many add a touch of humor. A few are longer, which several verses, while others are composed of only a few words. So, expect a bit of everything.

The hardbound book has a wonderful quality to it, which guarantees more than a single year's worth of use. I was afraid it might be a bit much, but the mix makes it really enjoyable to use. I can recommend this one and am adding it to my favorites of the review year list.

And here they are...

Fiona Waters is renowned in the world of children’s books for her passion, enthusiasm, and encyclopedic knowledge of children’s literature. She has published more than eighty titles, including Sing a Song of Seasons, and her work has been translated into many different languages all over the world. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Fiona Waters now lives in the South of England with thousands of books and several very discerning cats.

Britta Teckentrup moved to London to study illustration and fine art and ended up staying in England for seventeen years. She has created more than thirty books, including Reptiles Everywhere, Don’t Wake Up the Tiger, and Get Out of My Bath! Her illustrations have appeared in magazines and on home wares, clothes, and packaging. Britta Teckentrup now lives and works in Berlin with her husband and son and their cat.