Cathi I. White (Children's Literature)
The little tiger does not want to go to sleep as his mother has asked him to. He is afraid that he will not be able to see all the things he wants to see like the sky, the tree, or the blue bird. His mother tells him that he can see all those things in his dreams. He does not have to be awake to see them. Then the little tiger is afraid that he will fall, afraid of the dark, and afraid of getting lost. His mother assures him that she is there for him and there is nothing to be afraid of. This book encourages children to use their imagination. It also assures children that someone is always there for them. The pictures are beautifully drawn and very colorful. Preschoolers and young children will enjoy hearing the story of the little tiger. This book would be a great tool in preschool, kindergarten, and even first grade. Children will definitely learn the lessons this book stresses. 2002, Frances Foster Books, $16.00. Ages 4 to 7.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2003)
It's nighttime, but one little tiger isn't ready to go to sleep. " 'If I close my eyes,' he said, 'I can't see the sky.' " Or the tree, or the bird with the blue feathers. And the dark is scary. Like any small child, the little tiger is full of reasons for not going to sleep. But his mother leads him to an understanding of the endless possibilities that his own imagination can create in the dark. She is also full of love and reassurance in this superb bedtime (or anytime) story. "Dark is just the other side of light," she tells him. "I will be here. So close your eyes, little tiger." Kate Banks is a writer with a keen understanding of the emotional landscape of small children, and a gift for language. Like her other books illustrated by Georg Hallensleben, here her beautiful words are paired with vivid yet soothing images, creating a perfectly balanced, extraordinarily comforting picture book. Highly Commended, 2003 Charlotte Zolotow Award CCBC categories: Picture Books For Younger Children. 2002, Frances Foster Books / Farrar Straus Giroux, 32 pages, $16.00. Ages 2-4.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2002 (Vol. 70, No. 13))
A familiar dance between mother and child begins as the night descends on the jungle and the little tiger refuses to close his eyes and go to sleep. At first the little tiger is worried that he might miss something if he drifts off. "If I close my eyes," he said, "I can't see the sky." He continues to worry that he will not see the tree and "the bird with the blue feathers," but each time his mother comforts him, telling him of all the wonderful things that he will be able to do in his dreams. Satisfied that he will be able to play and maybe even fly in his dream world, the little tiger then becomes worried that he might fall or become lost, but his mother comforts him again. She tells him that she will always be there for him. Finally satisfied, the little tiger closes his eyes and dreams of far away places safe between his mother's paws. Bright, textured illustrations rendered in broad brushstrokes on oversized pages depict the little tiger's lush surroundings and his fanciful dreamscape. While not terribly original, parents searching for another way to convince little ones to go to sleep might give this one a try if for no other reason to share the pictures before bedtime. 2002, Frances Foster/Farrar Straus & Giroux, $16.00. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 6. © 2002 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ginny Moore Kruse (Parents Guide, Fall 2002 (Vol. 5, No. 1))
It's nighttime, but a little tiger isn't ready to sleep. "If I close my eyes, I can't see the sky," he tells his mother. He can't see the tree, or the bird with the blue feathers, either. His mother suggests ways his imagination can create new images, and besides, the dark is just like the little tiger's own stripes. "Dark is just the other side of light," she says. "I will be here. So close your eyes, little tiger." An enormously comforting story perfectly matched with Hallensleben's expressive artwork. 2002, Farrar Straus and Giroux, $16. Ages 2 to 4.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2003)
A mother tiger settles her restless cub, who doesn't want to close his eyes, with quieting promises of fanciful dreams and assurances that she will be there when he wakes. The rich paintings depict a lush, inviting jungle setting, and the softly rounded animal forms are more friendly than realistic in both dream (a plaid whale) and waking (a smiling croc) worlds, a style suited to the soothing bedtime story. Category: Preschool. 2002, Farrar/Foster, 40pp, $16.00. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Terri Rousaville (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 15, No. 3))
A mother tiger entices her child to sleep by telling of all that can be seen with one's eyes closed. This is a nice book that centers on imagination, dreams, and magical places. The illustrations are vivid and colorful. It would be a nice addition to a classroom/school library. Nonfiction. Grades PreK. 2002, Frances Foster/Farrar Straus Giroux, Unpaged, $16.00. Ages 3 to 5.