cover image Dorje's Stripes

Dorje's Stripes

Anshumani Ruddra, illus. by Gwangjo and Jung-a Park, EDC/Kane Miller, $15.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-935279-98-3

Nestled in the Himalayas is a Buddhist monastery where monks live with a Royal Bengal tiger named Dorje, who has an unusual characteristic: in his two years at the monastery, he has lost all of his stripes. But when the youngest monk notices that Dorje has a new stripe, Master Wu tells the story of how hungry, weak, and afraid Dorje was when he first arrived. He also describes entering Dorje's dreams, where he learned that each of Dorje's vanished stripes represented another tiger killed by hunters. Working in brilliant, seeping watercolors, the Korean illustrating team plays up the mystical elements of the story (Dorje almost appears to be aflame in some scenes, and they show murdered tigers floating on small rocks against a celestial backdrop), while underscoring the dangers the tigers face (one is shot in mid-leap, blood exploding from its chest). But the new stripe on Dorje means he has found a female companion, bringing hope for Royal Bengal tiger populations. A closing note about the tigers' vulnerability adds urgency to this subtle story about preservation and survival. Ages 5–9. (Mar.)