The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves

by Gwendolyn Brooks, Timothy Jones (Illustrator)

All the tiger's fierce qualities do not satisfy him; he wants to be stylish and wear white gloves.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens

36 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1974

About the author

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Annie Allen and one of the most celebrated Black poets. She also served as consultant in poetry to the Library of Congress—the first Black woman to hold that position. She was the poet laureate for the state of Illinois for over thirty years, a National Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her works include We Are Shining, Bronzeville Boys and Girls, A Street in Bronzeville, In the Mecca, The Bean Eaters, and Maud Martha.

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this poem/book for many years and read it again this morning in preparation for sharing it with some 2nd grade students, tomorrow.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great baby book, words and text -- read it aloud just now and really got into it, thinking it reminded me of a recording of a poem I used to play for students (http://m.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/we-r...) -- and lo the author of book and poem are one. Interesting ambiguous subtext about being true to your nature, ending with an agitated image (a snapping tail).

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

As one who loves Brooks' children books, from her early collection of poetry _Bronzeville Boys and Girls_ to her later _Aloneness_, I was disappointed by this picture book. Timothy Jones' illustrations are gorgeous, bold and feel like they emerged in 1974 (when this book was printed), but the text just does not contend.

While it preaches that the unhappy tiger should be confident in his striped skin, especially after witnessing the disapproval of all of the jungle animals when he pranced around in white gloves, this work does not accept difference readily. As "Everyone screamed 'We never dreamed there ever could be in history a tiger who loves to wear white gloves. White gloves are for girls with manners and curls and dresses and hats and bow-ribbons. That's the way it always was, and rightly so, because it's nature's nice decree that tiger folk should be not dainty, but dairy, and wisely wearing what's fierce as the face. Not whiteness and lace!'" In all of the shaming, the tiger, "with a sigh and a saddened eye, and in spire of his love, he took off each glove" and finally gave in and agreed with the animals to be "content" and "satisfied" with his unaltered, undressed self.

I understand that there is a gendered and racial message in this work, especially as stereotypical femininity and "whiteness" are directly linked to the tiger wearing gloves, but to me, it's a rather sad book that makes the tiger choose between assimilation and accepting an argument about following "nature's" rules (reminiscent of homophobic reasoning) or feeling prideful and happy stepping outside of what tigers should do and how they should dress.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I read this book again I thought about Kat Williams stand-up commentary about the tigers in the zoo being so confined. He kept saying "But I don't feel like a tiger".

Williams proceeded to discuss his ADHD son and how he kept running around the house but suddenly when he was given Ritalin he was quite lethargic and just sitting around. When Williams asked him what was he doing his son stated "I'm thinking about running".

"But I don't feel like a tiger"

Each time society refuses to release a stereotype or clips the wings to our children of color soaring it is just like this story.

"But I don't feel like a tiger"

Tiger liked his white gloves. It made him feel good, but those around him told him he was not to wear them because after all he was a tiger. Tiger liked them but was discouraged about his uniqueness to the point he was pressured into removing those gloves and became what the people wanted him to be: a tiger.

"But I don't feel like a tiger"

There is never the mention of the positives to people with ADHD: creativity, innovation, energy, flexibility, and spontaneity. And did I mention creativity. Some of the most creative people have ADHD. Ritalin is not the only solution, it is sometimes the easiest.

"But I don't feel like a tiger"

We are not the same. We need to celebrate individuality. But wait. . . . that would mean that we would have to accept diversity. Hmmmmmmm? Think of that.

Perhaps if that was the answer Tiger could have kept his white gloves on.

[Alyse Liebovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that GB wrote a kid's book. Also love that it's alternate title is "or What You Are You Are"