Camp Tiger

Written by Susan Choi and John Rocco

Narrated by Michael Crouch

Imagination meets reality in this poetic and tender ode to childhood, illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner, John Rocco. Every year, a boy and his family go camping at Mountain Pond. Usually, they see things like an eagle fishing for his dinner, a salamander with red spots on its back, and chipmunks that come to steal food while the family sits by the campfire. But this year is different. This year, the boy is going into first grade, and his mother is encouraging him to do things on his own, just like his older brother. And the most different thing of all . . . this year, a tiger comes to the woods. With lyrical prose and dazzling art, Pulitzer Prize finalist Susan Choi and Caldecott-honor winning artist John Rocco have created a moving and joyful ode to growing up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781980051800

Susan Choi

Susan Choi was born in Indiana and grew up in Texas. Her first novel, The Foreign Student, won the Asian-American Literary Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Discover Great New Writers Award at Barnes & Noble. With David Remnick, she edited an anthology of fiction entitled Wonderful Town: New York Stories from the New Yorker. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews for Camp Tiger

[bookwren · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Stunning art and lyrical prose bring a camping trip to vibrant life through the eyes of the youngest family member. The cover art is particularly exceptional and sets the tone with the young camper leading the way and the spread of the tiger fishing underwater foreshadows the truth. The tiger is a practical and kind teacher. Perfect for read-alouds and discussion of imagination, creativity, and dreams.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A boy and his family take their annual camping trip in the mountains. School is about to start and the boy is facing and experiencing changes: entering first grade, doing more of the tasks his mother used to do for him, growing up. Unexpectedly, a tiger shows up at their campsite and spends the weekend with them. The spareness of the prose tells us of the boy’s confusion and melancholy without overexplaining or attempting to explain. From simple dialogue and thoughts we understand he is dealing with a lot but he feels it, can’t explain it. Too oblique for kids? But an opportunity to talk it through.