Wild Summer Week Three: Tigers
Our fur-ocious guest shares books and story time ideas for a tigerrific summer!
Welcome to Week Three of our Summer Challenge, a free reading challenge all about pairing books with summer fun! If you’re new here, please jump right in! We are sharing book recommendations, discussion starters, activity ideas, and more now through August 11. Plus, we’re doing a giveaway at the end of the summer. Sign up today to be eligible to win!
This week’s special guest is Tiger! The tiger may seem a bit fur-ocious, but we think you will agree that she is sleek, beautiful, and fascinating to encounter both in person and in books! Would you like to meet her? Of course you would! Tiger, take it away!
Hello, I am pawsitively delighted that you could join us. I’ve got some fabulous facts1 to share with you about tigers. I think you will be amazed!
Fact #1: We are carnivores and eat only meat.
Fact #2: We are the largest wild cats in the world…full grown we can weigh up to 363kg (800 pounds).
Fact #3: Our roar can be heard up to 3km (1.86 miles) away.
Fact #4: When we reach full speed, we can run 65km/hour (40 miles/hour).
Fact #5: Each of us has a completely unique striped pattern that is different from others of our kind.
One thing that you should know about me personally is that I do NOT like to have someone wake me up from my naps. It makes me ROAR! In fact, one of my favorite books is a story of a surprise birthday party in which animal friends try their best to NOT wake a tiger up. You’ll find that book at the top of my tigeriffic book list!
Read: Any book on this list, or any other book about tigers!
Don’t Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup. Tiger is asleep but is blocking the path. The animal friends must get past him without waking him up. They try using balloons to float over her. The text calls your child to help by petting the tiger’s nose and tummy, singing a lullaby, and rocking the book. When the stork accidentally pops the balloon and the tiger wakes up it is time for his surprise birthday party.
There’s a Tiger on the Train by Mariesa Dulak and Rebecca Cobb. A little boy and his dad take a train to the sea. A tiger in a top hat sits next to them, along with crocodiles, hippos, piglets, pugs, and a mouse. Dad is too involved in his phone to notice, but in the end the tiger steals the phone and the boy and the dad have a great time playing together at the beach. Told in playful rhyme, it shows an important lesson for today’s parent about putting your phone down and being present in the moment with your kids.
Sleep Like a Tiger by Mary Logue, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. If you struggle getting your children to bed, try this fun bedtime book. A little girl is not tired and asks, “Does everything in the world go to sleep? Her parents give many animal examples: dog curled up into a ball, cat stretched out, bats with folded wings, a snail inside his shell, and a tiger. One by one the girl acts out each animal and falls asleep.
A Tiger Like Me by Michael Engler, illustrated by Joëlle Tourlonias. Originally a German text, this story chronicles a day in the life of an imaginative little boy who wears a tiger suit. Even though he is wild and wary, clever and cunning, and growling and yowling throughout his day, at nighttime he becomes a snuggly, cuddly tiger.
The Little Tiger by Nicola Killen. This is a sweet tale of a little girl who receives a tiger costume for her birthday. She gets swept away by a bunch of balloons into an imaginative but playful day.
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown. This is a funny book about a tiger who lives in a very civilized community who decides one day to go wild. That is, he stops wearing clothes and begins walking on all four legs!
A Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. This is a classic book written in 1968 that tells about a tiger who comes and eats and drinks everything in the house. The charm is in its simplicity and I think your children will giggle as the tiger keeps gobbling up everything at the table.
Daniel Tiger’s Delightful Tales. This is a video and book series from the creators of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and it is a delight. The books are written by multiple authors but have the heart to help your child learn and grow in healthy ways. This product is a three-story collection that includes the titles You are Special, Daniel Tiger; I Will Always Be Your Friend!; and Goodnight, Daniel Tiger written by Anglea C. Santomero. If you have a young child, check out this series!
National Geographic Explore My World: Tigers by Jill Esbaum. This simple informational text will introduce your little one to the tiger. I loved the stunning photos and the section where it compares a tiger to a house cat.
Big Cats: Tigers by Marie Brandle. This book is short, succinct, and contains beautiful photos of tigers!
I Can Read
Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor. Fox is not happy with who he is so he tries to become a tiger. His friends dress up in funny costumes too. In the end he discovers it is better to be a fox. This book is part of a simple but fun series for beginning readers.
Tigers Can’t Purr! And Other Amazing Facts by Thea Feldman and illustrated by Lee Cosgrove. This book has lots of super fun facts written at a level just perfect for your beginning reader. I learned that tigers declare their territory by scratching their claws on trees and on the ground.
Chapter Books and Middle Grade
Tigers at Twilight (A Magic Tree House book) by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie are whisked away to India where they encounter many exotic animals. They must help free an endangered tiger from a trap set by poachers and collect a lotus blossom.
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Twelve-year-old Rob Horton knows his share of pain. His mother recently passed away and he is living in a run-down hotel with his father. He is also bullied at school. One day two unique things happen: He finds a real tiger in a cage near the hotel, and he makes a new friend with a girl named Sistine who just moved to town. Sistine wants to free the tiger, but Rob doesn’t. In the end, they free the tiger, and he is shot by Rob’s father. The tiger serves as a metaphor for Rob’s emotional grief that should not stay suppressed. This is a heavy book, but honest and very well written.
Note: Some links will take you to the Read, Discuss, Do bookshop.org storefront. Purchasing a book from the storefront will support independent bookstores and help maintain Read, Discuss, Do at no additional cost to you.
Discuss:
What have you learned about tigers that you didn’t know before?
Do you have a favorite tiger book? Is it fiction or nonfiction?
Have you ever seen a tiger at the zoo?
If you could have a tiger as a pet, what would you name it?
What is the coolest tiger fact you can think of?
Can you think of any movies with tigers in them?
Do: Try one of these tigerrific activity ideas
Play a game called “Don’t Wake the Tiger!” inspired by the book, Don’t Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup.
First, use green streamers to create a jungle maze that your child must crawl through. Tape the streamers to drape from kitchen chairs, across a hallway, or across the furniture in your living room. Your child crawls through them on all fours.
While your child tries to navigate the “jungle,” pretend you are a sleeping tiger. Designate an area like the sofa for your lair. Can your child crawl through the maze without you waking up and roaring? They will squeal with delight when you wake up with a “ROAR!”
Turn this into a game like tag. If the child wakes you, they must run to “base” before you can capture them and tickle them and/or carry them off to your lair. Of course, alternate roles and let them be the sleeping tiger, too!
More tigeriffic activity ideas:
Take a cat nap.
Go for a swim! Unlike other cats, tigers like playing in the water.
Do story time with a tiger toy.
Tiger stripes help them blend into forest background. Try blending in to the background in your home or yard. Who will you sneak up on?
Make a tiger mask and play tiger pretend. Here’s a tutorial for a paper plate tiger mask if you need inspiration.
Listen to some tiger tunes!
Here is Pinterest Board with even more Tiger Connection Activities.
We also have a coloring page to share with you!
Well, if it is okay with you, I think I’m going to head back to my nap. Hope you are enjoying the Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge! Have a great week!
Thank you, Tiger! These are all great ideas!
If you share about your experiences with the Summer Challenge on social media, use the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge2025 so we can see it. You can also tag us on Instagram.
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