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The Tiger-Skin Rug
It's amazing how easy it is for the tiger to pass himself off as a rug- he enjoys a life of luxury with the rajah's family, snacking on midnight feasts and playing with his children. He goes entirely undetected, until one night, when he risks expulsion from his comfortable abode as burglars break into the palace and he has to decide whether to stay in disguise as a rug - or save the rajah from a horrible beating. However, tigers who live in houses can have happy endings, as seen in this utterly brilliant picture book.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Rose
108 books3 followersGerald Hambledon Seymour Rose (b. 1935) is a British illustrator of children's books. He studied at Lowestoft School of Art and the Royal Academy. He has published a number of books together with his wife, Elizabeth Rose.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 23, 2019
First read, and loved, this about 30 years ago. Our whole family loved it but, alas, it was out of print. We borrowed our library’s copy many times. I knew doing so kept its circ count so high it would never be discarded and because it was a bound-to-stay-bound copy it was not likely to wear out either. I resisted the temptation to pretend to lose it, aka steal it, and then we’d gladly pay for it. That was a real moral dilemma but true love cannot be denied so I will admit I flirted with the idea frequently while hoping, fantasizing, one of the library ladies noticed that the only people checking out The Tiger Skin Rug was the Hayes family and just give it to us. Since I was one of the library ladies I knew this was not going to happen but a girl can dream, right? Some years later we did acquire a copy at another library’s book sale and it has been a cherished possession ever since.
Just read it to my grandson last night and am happy to report he loves it too.
Just read it to my grandson last night and am happy to report he loves it too.
April 21, 2011
Such a beautiful story... Our copy was so loved that it fell apart entirely.
November 3, 2017
simple story, tigers are cool, great story to read out loud to class, every one gets it, easy inference prompts and pictures marry well with the action
August 1, 2019
Just plain fun with lots of great pictures that tell the story beautifully.
December 6, 2021
Tiger Skin Rug
Author- Gerald Rose
Age group: any age
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Themes: adventure, humor
Genre: picture book, fiction
Rating-4.5/5
An endearing tale of an aging, frail tiger who cannot hunt and gets exhausted from living on the scraps. With monkeys fooling around him in the jungle, taunting him at every juncture, the poor tiger has had enough. Rajah’s palace, with its sumptuous spread laid out every night, entices him. And then, one day, he gets an opportunity to hobnob with the Rajah and his extended clan.
Does languishing in the lap of luxury is as exciting as the tiger had dreamt? Does it come with its own sets of predicaments?
The denouement is a laugh riot. You will thoroughly relish the antics of the ignorant Rajah, his family, and the ingenious tiger.
The illustrations are fabulous and add pep to the narrative. Your little ones will chuckle at the misery of the tiger and delight in his capers.
My favorite part is when the tiger gets to hang around Raja’s domestic help. Totally wacky and side-splitting funny.
The gripping plot and the page-turning adventure will have your toddler craving to read the book over and over. And sometimes for many weeks, on end. But the difference with this one is that you would be as enthusiastic about reading it without tearing your hair out of sheer boredom.
This incredible and brilliant book has been on our shelf for as long as I remember. Sometimes I notice my grown-up kid flipping through its pages to soak into its magic.
Can’t recommend it enough!
Author- Gerald Rose
Age group: any age
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Themes: adventure, humor
Genre: picture book, fiction
Rating-4.5/5
An endearing tale of an aging, frail tiger who cannot hunt and gets exhausted from living on the scraps. With monkeys fooling around him in the jungle, taunting him at every juncture, the poor tiger has had enough. Rajah’s palace, with its sumptuous spread laid out every night, entices him. And then, one day, he gets an opportunity to hobnob with the Rajah and his extended clan.
Does languishing in the lap of luxury is as exciting as the tiger had dreamt? Does it come with its own sets of predicaments?
The denouement is a laugh riot. You will thoroughly relish the antics of the ignorant Rajah, his family, and the ingenious tiger.
The illustrations are fabulous and add pep to the narrative. Your little ones will chuckle at the misery of the tiger and delight in his capers.
My favorite part is when the tiger gets to hang around Raja’s domestic help. Totally wacky and side-splitting funny.
The gripping plot and the page-turning adventure will have your toddler craving to read the book over and over. And sometimes for many weeks, on end. But the difference with this one is that you would be as enthusiastic about reading it without tearing your hair out of sheer boredom.
This incredible and brilliant book has been on our shelf for as long as I remember. Sometimes I notice my grown-up kid flipping through its pages to soak into its magic.
Can’t recommend it enough!
August 30, 2018
My childhood favourite! My sister and I loved the story of an opportunistic tiger who, in his sorry, moth-eaten state, lived secretly in the Raja’s palace. In the throes of starvation, the tiger poses as a tiger skin rug in order to eat leftovers in the palace. We adored the illustrations especially; our eyes stung seeing the tiger washed and our tummies tumbled at the sight of delicious Indian treats (and they got to sit on the floor to eat!). It’s a sadly difficult book to find these days. I wish it were in every book store. I might be a little biased though 😸
January 31, 2018
A delightful story about a tiger that doesn't want to lonely anymore. The tiger's expressions was my favourite part on every page!
November 5, 2019
Interesting book ..no fear of tiger but the kids meet the caring and helpful tiger. lovely Illustrations.
July 8, 2017
Nice tale about an aging tiger who longs to go into the palace to be with the Rajah and his family. So he devises a plan to pretend to the tiger skin rug he sees the servant cleaning outside. So he switches places with it and the servant beats him like a rug not knowing the difference. He is dragged inside and the family sits on him as they eat, not knowing the difference either. Once they leave he eats all the leftover scraps and relaxes. Though evening after evening of this he is not as flat as before. His belly is getting bigger from the food and he is bound to be found out! Fortunately an event occurs that allows him to be part of the family forever. Fun and sweet with funny, colorful illustrations. I like that the setting, while not identified, is illustrated as Indian or somewhere in that region.
October 11, 2017
Not one of those books with subtlety. Just straightforward, delightful story of a tiger pretending to be a rug to live a good life in the Rajah's home, and got exposed in the best way possible that saved his skin, literally.
November 27, 2018
A tiger that wants to be a rug, how sweet! Let's kill all the tigers and turn them into rugs to make them happy BUT only if they are too old and unable to hunt!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2021
A favorite of my daughters (and mine). The double page spread of the tiger leaping into action if one of my favorite pieces of art.
July 19, 2022
Nice illustrations and a nice story.
May 3, 2016
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.
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.
July 13, 2008
I feel a little silly giving this a 5 since obviously it doesn't actually tie with other books I've given 5's to, say, Unbearable Lightness of Being, but this one was one of my all-time favorites when I was a little kid and I had my father read it to me almost every night for quite a long time. I also still remember the whole thing very clearly, whereas most of the other ones I only remember vaguely. The story is about a tiger who wants to be accepted into an Indian family, so he poses as a tigerskin rug. He endures some unpleasantness to keep his position, like letting the servants beat him to clean his fur. He eventually gains acceptance into the family when he protects them at the end of the book. So cute! And you just feel so happy for the tiger at the end.
October 23, 2014
Sometimes the old stories are the best.A ragged, starving tiger is skinny enough to swap places with a tiger-skin rug. Is a life of ease worth being walked all over? See for yourself in this gift of a picture book reprinted from the 1970's.
For more great Picture Books for little guys, see: http://www.talestoldtall.com/B4BPictu...
For more great Picture Books for little guys, see: http://www.talestoldtall.com/B4BPictu...
September 22, 2015
Cute story about a tiger that pretends to be a tiger skin rug so he can live in a palace and get fed.
Cute but too long for storytimes, and picture are good enough - suprising as the author is a Kate Greenaway medal winner.
Cute but too long for storytimes, and picture are good enough - suprising as the author is a Kate Greenaway medal winner.
March 25, 2012
This is one smart tiger. He acts as a rug and just when the he may have to go due to his scent, he is brave and becomes a beloved member of the family.
July 12, 2016
Quirky - I loved it.
September 29, 2015
it is good but it was sad in the beginning, but it was funny. (this is the review of my 8 year old son!) :-)
May 10, 2008
Tale of a lonely tiger who wants to be accepted. Magic!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews