Nancy Garhan Attebury (Children's Literature)
William Blake's "Tiger, Tiger" poem sets up the entrance to fun and delight in this book enveloped in soft and bright colored pastels. The reader is swept into the tale with Pocu, a young village boy, who entertains himself when other villagers nap during the heat of the day. As he sets forth on his adventure, he discovers a powerful peacock feather, which proves to make all the difference in his ability to create a large and looming tiger. His realization of the power of the creation does not deter him as he keeps his cool and erases, in step-by-step fashion, the demon he has created. Having done so, he casually returns to the village, hungry but none the worse for the adventure. Large print and few words on a page keep the pace going. Guevara strives to set the illustrations in frames but at times detracts from the story's continuity when she deliberately imposes a solid black line on the left or right quarter of a two-page spread. Once past this line, the reader will have fun with the text and pictures that compliment each other. 2002, Putnam/Penguin, $16.99. Ages 4 to 8.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2002 (Vol. 70, No. 19))
Stunning, jewel-toned illustrations in gouache and chalk pastel on mixed-media paper bring a young boy's imagination to life in this riveting tale. Left on his own on a hot day when the other villagers would rather be napping, Pocu finds a peacock feather in the forest and waves it, creating an imaginary playmate. The first wave makes the air cool; the second makes the flowers bloom; and the third creates "a great murmuring shadow" that speaks, asking for eyes, paws, body, tail, and stripes. The somnolent swishing of the feather in the dark forest coupled with the shadow's seemingly innocent requests lull readers into the game; but soon the shadow reveals its true identity: a fierce, hungry tiger. Pocu is frightened until he remembers to use his feather. Each wave this time removes claws, paws, and tail, until Pocu finds himself alone again; now it is suppertime and he can go back to the village and join his family. Soft-focus illustrations in intense jades, blues, and browns evoke the deep forest setting; the peacock feather in a shimmery rainbow of colors stands out brightly. The tiger, first nothing but a dark swish, grows into a huge orange creature; the spread showing its ferocious face with its bared fangs is terrifying. Those who have scared themselves thinking about what might be lurking in the basement, in the attic, or out in the woods, will recognize the fun of make-believe fright as well as the welcome realization that the same force that created them can tame the beasts of the imagination. 2002, Putnam, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 4 to 6. © 2002 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2003)
One hot day in the jungle, a bored young boy finds a magic feather and conjures up a playmate--a tiger. When the tiger grows hungry and threatens his village, the boy stays in control and uses his magic feather once again. Told in poetic, lilting prose, the tale pays homage to the power of imagination. Boldly colored illustrations evoke the sights and sounds of the jungle; they allow the reader to watch the action yet remain safely apart. Category: Picture Books. 2002, Putnam, 40pp, $16.99. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.