ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week ending 16th August 2013 - "Mr Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown (Macmillan Children's Books)

This book dropped through our letterbox like a tiger-striped whirling dervish, stunningly beautiful and yet with such a simple winning story that it's great for a wide range of ages.

Mr Tiger, the top-hatted and polite city gent, is bored. Passing the time tipping his hat to ladies, or discussing the weather with his peers, he's bored, bored, BORED!

Of course, when the humdrum mundanity of the day gets to you, there's really only one thing to do. Go wild! So that's exactly what Mr Tiger does.

(on that note, I really COULD NOT shake Bow Wow Wow's brilliant song "Go wild in the country" while reading this. It's such a great song but a word of warning, do not go looking for youtube videos of the band performing the song on top of the pops - the guitarist had a very interesting line in T-shirts you really wouldn't want your youngsters to see!)

No more tipping hats, no more politely opening doors, it's time to go ape-crazy and shock your neighbours with feats of derring-do and lots and lots of loud roaring.

Naturally, polite society won't stand for such shenanigans, so Tiger's friends and neighbours politely suggest that Tiger takes himself off to the wilderness to conduct his proclivities.

"WHAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA!" roars Mr Tiger.

...and we'll stop there before we ruin too much of the story. Mr Tiger is fab, and Peter Brown's book is an instant classic with utterly beautiful illustrations, and a cheeky amount of chaotic fun spliced with polite victorian values.

It's great advice you know. Every now and again, take yourself off into the countryside and go wild. It may just keep you sane and it'll certainly stave off the boredom!

(Oh and one more thing - do something we usually never do if you pick up the hardback edition of this lovely book. Very carefully remove the dust jacket and look underneath. How cool is THAT!)

Charlotte's best bit: Mr Tiger indulging in impromptu naked fountain paddling. Eeek!

Daddy's favourite bit: The stiff upper lipped animals who are shocked at Tiger's erratic and most ungentlemanly behaviour. Love it!

(Mr Tiger Goes Wild is released on September 5th 2013 from Macmillan Children's Books, who kindly provided us with a copy for review)