Today's #Booky100Keepers is a bit of a rare old bird, a book that we never really see trumpeted about, yet it's utterly brilliant and one that we've read many, many times. So why don't we hear more about "Mr Tiger Goes Wild" by Peter Brown? In fact why isn't Peter Brown more widely known?

Mr Tiger has always been used to a certain level of prim and properness. He's a gentleman, and wouldn't be seen dead slobbing around the house when he can put on his most dapper suit and top hat, and take the air in a gentlemanly fashion, bidding "good day" politely to all the other animals as he passes.

But one night something happens to Mr Tiger. In fact Mr Tiger goes a little bit bonkers. Mr Tiger does indeed go wild.

Drinking tea with a little finger cocked? Lifting your hat to passers by?

Mr Tiger becomes a tiger again!

Pip pip!

The whole sequence in this book where Mr Tiger rediscovers the joy of running around stark naked, roaring and generally behaving exactly like a tiger would, is just so joyous and brilliantly depicted.

Just look at Mr Tiger's expression in that final panel. That, right there, is sheer joy!

Of course the prim and proper folk aren't really sure they like this 'new' version of Mr Tiger at all. I mean it's just not the done thing is it, behaving like that! But this is gorgeous - and bear in mind this came along way before Zootropolis just in case you think it all sounds like it has an air of familiarity to it.

Like the rest of Peter Brown's books this one's just brilliantly done.

In fact while we're talking about our keepers list, we ought to include this one too...

"My Teacher is a Monster" is for all those kids who've ever suffered the cringe-making embarrassment of encountering their teacher outside school.

Bobby likes to think of himself as the perfect pupil. Always does his work on time, never misbehaves in class.

However his teacher, Miss Kirby, is an actual real life monster - and thinks Bobby is a bit of a workshy layabout.

As Bobby soon discovers, Miss Kirby isn't actually a monster after all, and after a chance encounter in the local park during the summer holidays, Bobby and Miss Kirby actually get on like a house on fire.

We loved the way Peter shows Miss Kirby's transformation as the book progresses, and of course Bobby's too.

Both books are absolutely brilliant, we're just sorry we've never caught up with anything else by Peter - he's got an enviable talent for storytelling and utterly perfect illustratons.


Original Review Links: 

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

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 27th June 2014 - "My Teacher Is a Monster (No I am not!)" By Peter Brown (Macmillan Children's Books)

















Original Review Links:

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

ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 27th June 2014 - "My Teacher Is a Monster (No I am not!)" By Peter Brown (Macmillan Children's Books)

One of the rising stars of children's literature, Peter Brown wowed our socks off with "Mr Tiger Goes Wild", bagging our "Book of the Week" award and a good number of other awards into the bargain.

We loved "Mr Tiger" and Peter has now pulled off the double - and once again finds himself taking up residence in our book of the week slot with this absolute corker of a book.

"My Teacher is a Monster! (No I am not!)" is the story of Bobby. Bobby is an absolute little angel, always well behaved, never naughty, does not indulge in mean tricks and is a paragon of good manners. Or at least in his mind's eye he is. Bobby constantly falls foul of Miss Kirby. Miss Kirby, to put it bluntly, is a monster.

She does not stand for Bobby's behaviour in class, so when Bobby unexpectedly encounters Miss Kirby while out roaming in his favourite playing spot, awkwardness ensues.

Peter Brown has a gift for making stories that invite curiosity and comment, and "My Teacher is a Monster" has one of those delicious twists that is slowly revealed throughout the course of the story. We're definitely not going to ruin it for you ahead of the book's July 3rd release date, suffice to say that it's one of the funniest and most original books we've seen in a very long time.

Kids - love your teachers. They're groovy and definitely NOT monstery, OK?

Charlotte's best bit: Giggling at the slow reveal till the twist near the end of the book.

Daddy's Favourite bit: A smasher, Peter Brown makes it look SO EASY to produce such brilliantly funny (and beautiful) children's books. "Mr Tiger Goes Wild" wowed just about everyone, and this is going to do the same.

(Kindly sent to us for review by 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)