Fitzpatrick's (Lizzy and Skunk) luminous watercolors and just one to two sentences per page convey a thoughtful take on imagination, friendship and backyard adventure. The opening spread introduces the narrator standing against the brick wall that separates his house from one that's boarded up next door. "Hey, Mew!" he says to his cat, who is standing on the wall. "Are you a tiger? I'm a tiger too." A full-bleed illustration shows the boy and Mew lurking amidst ferns and tall grasses. Mew turns into a tiger; the boy sports stripes and fur (but retains his human characteristics). Framed vignettes on the next spread show the transformed pet running away. "Oh, don't go!" says the boy. "I don't want to be a tiger all alone." The pattern repeats as the boy imagines himself and his dog, Ruff, as wolves; he and Mr. Fish become a sailor and a dolphin in the backyard pond. A dramatic center spread—of the forlorn boy standing against the imposing red brick—signals the turning point: a series of four panels shows the boy peering over the wall, then opening its blue gate, to meet the new boy next door. The boy invites his new neighbor to play. "I'll be a tiger," he replies. "Then we'll be tigers two." Closing illustrations show the boys, both fully transformed, roaring and stomping through the grass. Ages 4-6. (Apr.)
