Book Review: A Tiger Called Tomas

Author: Charlotte Zolotow
Illustrator: Mart Alvaerz Miguens

From the Book Jacket: Tomas is too shy to go out and meet the kids in his neighborhood, even with his mom's encouragement. Instead he just sits on his stoop, watching the world go by. On the night of Halloween, opportunity arrives in the form of a tiger costume, complete with a mask that hides his identity. He can go trick-or-treating without anyone knowing i's him. But Tomas soon discovers his costume doesn't hide him quite as well as he thinks... 

A tender story that gently explores children's hesitancy to pursue friends, and the joy in making them. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a really sweet story on being new and overcoming shyness. It also really validates the feeling of having a fear that people might not like you when you are trying to make friends. Throughout the book Tomas says: "they might not like me." He soon discovers everyone knows his name and is also surprised to see how friendly everyone is as he goes trick or treating. I think shyness can sometimes steal a child's inner smile. This story is a very encouraging reminder that it's okay to put yourself out there. 

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