The Tiger Who Came for Dinner

Praise

A lost tiger cub is fluffy, cuddly, and…conniving.

Readers were introduced to the odd household trio—paternal Wolf, childlike Little Lamb, and their alligator, Omelet—in Smallman’s previous works (The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, 2006, etc.). Omelet has since grown and now loves to play fetch. Unfortunately, sometimes he brings back other items instead of the stick. When he triumphantly brings back a sopping wet tiger cub one day, Little Lamb is thrilled. A new, cuddly pet! But alas, they cannot keep her. They must help her find her way back home. On the journey back through the woods, Fluffy the cub becomes increasingly interested in Little Lamb. She eagerly licks Little Lamb while salivating, with expressive eyes that reveal how much she wants a tasty snack. Little Lamb and Wolf think the attention is adorable, but Omelet sees through the ruse. When they make it to Fluffy’s home, will Little Lamb become dinner? Little Lamb’s and Wolf’s obliviousness amps up the silliness, eliciting groans from readers, who will be well aware of Fluffy’s true feelings. Omelet may not be a fuzzy or cute pet (slippery scales and pointy teeth and all), but he’s a devoted one who saves the day. Making use of vignettes and graphic novel–esque panels, Dreidemy’s cartoonish illustrations brim with warmth. Text and art make crystal-clear that found family can be the best family. 

A sly tale of trickery and familial bonds. (Picture book. 3-6) –Kirkus Reviews

In a deceptively sweet-seeming tale with both figurative and literal teeth, Smallman and Dreidemy depict a loving, if unconventional, family: Wolf, Little Lamb, and Omelet, their doglike alligator. It’s Omelet who comes trotting out of the woods bearing not the usual stick but an adorably fluffy tiger cub. Awww. Time to take the silent, big-eyed tyke back to its no doubt worried family. Only Omelet notices the rather predatory way Fluffy cozies up to mice, fish, and even Little Lamb along the way, and so is poised to come to the rescue with a terrifying SNAP! when the tiger cub summons its delighted parents with a sudden shout of “MOM, DAD. I’M HOME! AND I’VE BROUGHT . . . DINNER!” Variations on the titular play on words has seen long service for tales with benevolent final twists; consider this as a deliciously thrilling surprise for storytime audiences set up by the likes of Ken Brown’s What’s the Time, Grandma Wolf? (2001), Margery Cuyler’s Skeleton for Dinner (2013), or Jessica Olien’s When a Tiger Comes to Dinner (2019). –Booklist