A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2015! ★ Thurber's rapier wit meets its match in Yoon's intelligent, powerful imagery in this classic tale about the absurdity of omnipotence.
Gorgeously illustrated and including two gatefolds that give us a panoramic jungle at war, The Tiger Who Would Be King is as entertaining as it is wise, as wry as it is passionate. Yoon's humorous images support this beautifully written text with wit and insight. Her final portrait of the tiger in a sea of silence will stay with the reader for a long, long time.
Praise
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2015
A Huffington Post Honorable Mention in "Best Dark/Mysterious" Category for 2015
STARRED REVIEW! ? “A cautionary tale about the futility of war by the late American humorist receives a stunning visual interpretation from Yoon […] A picture book that will be embraced due to its successful handling of difficult themes.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Yoon’s tumultuous illustrations have tremendous force."
—The Wall Street Journal
"Vibrantly illustrated by Yoon in a dense, blocky print style, all in an electric red, a cool blue-green, black and white. Each page teems with evocative images of animal life. The effect is ferocious and ravishing, capturing the beastliness of war along with emotions that include pride, boredom, shock and sorrow."
—The New York Times
"Newly illustrated in extravagant, inventive fashion by JooHee Yoon, its lessons seem sharply relevant today... Yoon’s arresting palette adds visual depth to the drama… The Tiger Who Would Be King should be reserved for sophisticated children and for adults, too, who are looking for moral clarity in the face of grim news."
—The Boston Globe
"The illustrations constitute a wholly serious piece of artwork, one that may remind older readers of Picasso's Guernica."
—Publishers Weekly
“Thurber’s profound story is brought to vivid life in this new picture book version. … Yoon takes the words of Thurber and creates a picture book that is startling and incredible. She captures in expressions, the pride of declaring yourself to be a ruler, the shock of the old ruler being challenged.”
—Waking Brain Cells, Tasha Saecker
"A fabulous artistic recasting of a James Thurber classic fable by original artist, JooHee Yoon... From the rising sun scene in the front inside pages to he same scene at night on the back inside pages, The Tiger Who Would Be King is splendid, terrible, arresting, curious, and a marvel to behold. Watch for all the individual animal portraits, with primitive toothy smiles, and the center foldout battle scene... A powerful artistic argument for peace that children of a certain age will grasp immediately."
—Children's Bookwatch
