Tiger vs. Nightmare

Tiger’s sweet-tempered parents indulge her talk about the hungry monster who lives underneath her bed (“It loves curry!” she tells them). But Monster is real, and after they play board games and Tiger goes to sleep, it earns its dinner by chasing away Tiger’s nightmares. One night, an extra-horrible nightmare with a bleached skull proves too much for Monster. The next night is no better, nor the next. With Monster’s loyal support, Tiger confronts the nightmare herself. It’s a story about fear, both the way it can paralyze (“Nope,” says Monster, hunched miserably under Tiger’s covers) and the way it can be overcome (“You’re in my head! You’re not real!” Tiger yells at the specter). Newcomer Tetri’s pencil-and-watercolor panels capture Tiger’s engaging, cublike features and daytime world in warm shades of gold and olive, while the epic battles that rage at night wash across the page in tidal sweeps of gray and blue. The Jetsons-style sci-fi setting adds another dimension of fun. Seamless visual storytelling and an impressive emotional range make this a notable debut. Ages 6–10. (Nov.)