by Gerald Rose
In two minds about this one. Engaging, great drawings, good story arc. Written in the late '70's so at one of those points when anyone with a political correctness agenda had a big red rubber stamp whacked on their forehead reading 'not normal'.
Story is about a tiger who chameleons his way into the Rajah's palace because he can no longer survive in the wild because he is past working age. That's cool: we all get to that point at some stage, whether physically or mentally and it's great that he finds a home when there is no tiger pension available....because...well because in the '70's all the tigers were already dead. Not preaching or anything...well, yes I am...tigers in the wild went from 100 000 at the beginning of last century to less than 4000 in the '70's and three whole sub-types out of eight were made extinct. Why? Because people wanted to grind up their bones for medicines and their skins also made an impressive rug.
I am going to give the benefit of the doubt on this one and say Rose is doing the tiger a justice by making him a clever hero in this story. A hero who has to go above and beyond to prove his worthiness of existence like all unappreciated beings. The story is good drama-wise and yet I still feel for the discarded old remnants of a hunted rug.
The drawings are great.
Gerald Rose has illustrated around fifty books. He started out as a husband and wife team with his writer-wife Elizabeth...which irks me that Gerald has multiple internet references and I cannot find one on his wife who wrote a dozen of the books they made as a team starting out...including Old Winkle and the Seagulls...another uncool politically incorrect blunder...shame to publishers who dismiss the source of their bread and butter...these authors are too old to Facebook their own talents out there. I am hoping that Elizabeth doesn't have time for internet fame. I do want to get my hands on Old Winkle and the Seagulls because it looks have-a-heart-old-school.