The Dancing Tiger

Back when I was a better mother, I used to go to the library regularly with Olivia. Poor Bodhi. Though in fairness, he does benefit from the children's library we've amassed, of course.

We went the other day, and I remembered this beautiful book, by Malachy Doyle, who writes such different stories for kids. It really caught my interest, originally, because of the premise of the girl who discovers the secret of the tiger who dances with her, and then finds out that he's somehow part of a matrilineal legacy, and her mother and grandmother etc danced with him too. It's touchingly beautiful, and meaningful, somehow. The secret of taming the tiger, of passing down joy, and still dancing inside. Generations of free girls in the moonlight.
Synopsis
There's a quiet, gentle tigerIn the woods below the hill, And he dances on his tiptoes, When the world is dreaming, still. Malachy Doyle's poetic text invites us to join a mysterious tiger, who only appears when the moon is full, on his joyous dances through the changing seasons. Luminous paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher capture the movement and energy of the language, and lead us to a magical woodland, suffused with moonlight, where a child and a tiger can play to their hearts' content.

Author Bio: Malachy Doyle is the acclaimed author of many books for children. He lives in North Wales. Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher are the illustrators of many award-winning books for children, including Silver Seeds. Steve and Lou live in Minnesota.

A nice review:

Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D. - Children's Literature


One moonlit night a young girl discovers a gentle tiger dancing among the trees. His twinkling eyes dispel her fear and she joyfully joins in his dance. They sashay through the seasons, delighting in the bluebells in summer, kicking leaves in autumn, and waltzing in winter. Month after month, year after year, they frolic. Near the end of the story, a graying great-grandmother decides to share her gift of the moonlit dances with her great-granddaughter. The old lady's face is serene as she sits on a stump and watches the tiger dance with his new partner. Written in lilting verse, the story reads like a lullaby. Full-color, double-page illustrations enhance the mystical experience of imaginative movement with a charming tiger and a winsome child. Soft, pastel tones leave the impression that the reader might just possibly spot this tiger dancing in the shadows the next time the moon is full. A lovely bedtime story. 2005, Viking, Ages 4 to 8

link to ebay, in case I tempted you