Nicola Killen

Title: The Little Tiger (My Little Animal Friend series)

Author: Nicola Killen

Illustrator: Nicola Killen

Publisher/Year: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books/2023

Favorite Line from the Book: But then she remembered…she was a tiger!

Special Features: Die cuts and foil stamping

The ever-clever and always-curious Ollie is back in The Little Tiger. And this time, it’s her birthday! The Little Tiger is a super-sweet addition to Nicola Killen’s My Little Animal Friend series, which includes The Little Kitten, The Little Bear, and The Little Rabbit, as well as The Little Reindeer which earned a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. I’m smitten with these books as it’s clear that the author and little Ollie are animal lovers just like me!

With boundless energy and limitless imagination, Ollie, dressed in her brand-new tiger suit and grasping a big bunch of balloons, takes readers on a high-flying adventure over houses, trees, and fields to a forest. In a clearing, she meets seven animals–Elephant, Monkey, Sloth, Rhinoceros, Zebra, Bear, and Lion–and discovers a surprise party waiting just for her. Everyone plays games, blows bubbles, and enjoys a delicious birthday lunch. Then Ollie blows out the candles on her cake while her new friends sing Happy Birthday, before she floats back home on the breeze.

Gently told with humor and heart, The Little Tiger is a perfect bedtime tale. The endearing illustrations, done in a muted color palette, satisfyingly match the story’s tone. Die cuts and foil stamping on some of the pages adds a playful element and is a nice touch. This book would make a great birthday present or Christmas gift or even both if you’re celebrating Jesus’s birthday on December 25th! I will be!