ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

This fictionalized story of a Siberian tiger and her hungry cub is told in spare, lyrical text and beautiful images: "Shaggy and frost-tipped, / the tigress and her cub / slip like shadows into a forest / of bone-white birches." The two are hunting for food in the forest when a wildfire separates them. Not until morning does the tigress hear the plaintive cries of her cub coming from where he was safely protected in a hidden cave: "Miiaaaow! Miiaaaaow!" The watercolor, pastel, and gouache illustrations are highly atmospheric with blue night hues and orange firelight capturing the beauty of the animals and the starkness of the setting. Much like Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & the Mouse (2009), this features a wordless front cover that is sure to entice readers. While other informational books on Siberian tigers exist, this is a handsome example of conveying animal information via a tender story with an author's note providing further facts about this endangered species.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

While hunting for food in the expansive Siberian forest a tiger mother is separated from her cub when a forest fire breaks out. London's lyrical narrative skillfully depicts the mother's (successful) search for her cub. Spirin's dark and expressive illustrations in watercolor, pastel, and gouache support this emotional tale. An author's note provides additional information on Siberian tigers.

Kirkus Reviews

In lyrical free verse, nature-writer London gives readers a tiny peek into the lives of a Siberian tiger cub and his mother. "A river in its icy bed / mumbles in its sleep. / The wooded hills and ridges / sparkle with snow. / Shaggy and frost-tipped, / the tigress and her cub / slip like shadows into a forest / of bone-white birches." As Spirin's artwork gets darker and takes on the blue-gray of night, the Striped One hides little Amba under a fallen tree so she can hunt the sika deer in the clearing. But as she is crouched to pounce, the forest erupts into flames, and all the animals flee. All night the mother searches for and calls her cub, but his cry can only be heard with the calming of the wind and fire. Spirin's watercolor, pastel and gouache artwork neatly complements the images painted in London's text. Only twice does he anthropomorphize the expressions on the tigers' faces. The forest fire, though obviously a threat to the forest dwellers, is not vividly portrayed, so readers are unlikely to be to frightened. An author's note provides more information about endangered Siberian tigers, including the threats to their survival. A beautifully written episode with a strong conservation message. (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

K-Gr 2 A Siberian tigress and her cub stalk across the dark, cold wilderness one night in search of food. Their single-minded task is interrupted by a sudden, roaring forest fire, which scatters all the forest animals and separates the tigress from her cub. By dawn the next day, the fire has died off and "across the icy stillness a distant cry can be heard." Happily, the mother and cub are reunited. The descriptive but simple story line is realistically illustrated in watercolor, pastel, and gouache in a dark, muted palette that reflects the frozen, nocturnal setting. The fire and the tigers' brownish-orange fur and glistening yellow eyes offer some welcome color counterpoint to the stark black, white, and bluish-gray of the background. The jacket is a stunning head shot of the tigress and her cub, uncluttered by type (title and author/illustrator information is on the back jacket). The author appends information about the Siberian tiger's endangered status and its characteristics, putting the narrative in context. The straightforward but taut arc of the story and lifelike paintings of a fascinating wild animal combine to make this a worthwhile choice for a group read-aloud. Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT