A Tiger Called Tomás

Such a sweet story of a shy Latino boy who is afraid that his new neighbors won't like him and as a result does not give them a chance to get to know him. Feeling courageous once he puts on his tiger costume for Halloween and realizes no one will be able to see his face, Tomas finally leaves his house to go trick-or-treating on his own. He surprised when all of his neighbors recognize him immediately and welcome him into their homes or invite them over another day. When he gets home he feels less shy and looks forward to see his new friends again.
The illustrations are vivid and colorful -- absolutely wonderful! Republished with Latinx characters, a few text changes, and a few added Spanish words, this was a refreshing new version of the classic, relatable story.

This book was originally published in 1963. It has been reissued a few times changing the illustrations, thus changing the ethnicity of the main character. This presentation is of a small Latino boy. Some of the text was changed to add some Spanish words, otherwise it is the same. The illustrations in this version are wonderful. They are large, colourful and show a sweet boy who is shy and afraid to venture out and meet new people because he worries they will not like him.

Tomás moves into a brand new neighbourhood and because of his shyness is afraid to step off of his front stoop to meet any of the local people. Day after day he is a silent observer of people and pets passing by and their activities. His sweet mamá keeps telling him over and over that of course everyone will like him but Tomás won't budge from his stoop. When Hallowe'en approaches, his wise mamá buys him a tiger costume complete with a mask. Tomás is confident to go out trick or treating because he is sure no one will recognize him. Of course all the neighbours recognize him and at the end of the night, he has new friends and is not afraid to go off the stoop.

This is a great story! I think any child who has moved to a new neighborhood will appreciate it. It does not diminish the feelings Tomás has, but helps him to become more self-assured. If you read the back cover you will see that the goal of the story was to see the child for who they are, not the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. A wonderful story to be in any school library.

I love this book, this topic is ever present in all kinds of social situations for children. As I read it I could remember past students that experienced situations like this young boy was experiencing during my years of teaching. I really love that it has been rewritten with a Latino child in mind. Although there are many books in print for this topic area, children of color are not represented nearly as much as other races. As a Latina teacher I appreciate the author and publisher’s choice to be inclusive of other cultures.

This re-issued book was originally published in 1963. The text is the same but the illustrations have been totally replaced and are beautiful to behold.

Tomás moves into a brand new neighbourhood and because of his shyness is afraid to step off of his front stoop to meet any of the local people. Day after day he is a silent observer of people and pets passing by and their activities. He is scared that no one will like him so he won't take the risk trying to meet anyone for fear of being rejected.

His sweet mamá keeps telling him over and over that of course everyone will like him but Tomás won't budge from his stoop.

When Hallowe'en arrives his wise mamá brings him home a tiger costume to wear.

"Try this on," she said. Tomás puts on the orange-and-black striped suite with its quilted tail.
He puts on the mask with its long whiskers."

Will he be brave on Hallowe'en Eve and go knocking door to door to fill up his treat bag with generous treats from his neighbours? Will it be discovered that it really is Tomás behind that tiger mask? Will anyone even be able to recognize Tomás or even care if it's really him?

I think the outcome of his adventure will be very pleasing to Tomás. He is about to discover that the locals will find him very approachable and very likeable just like his mamá told him all along. At the end of the evening, with his treat bag full, Tomás sheds his costume and a new self-confident boy emerges, one that is ready to respond in a positive way to all the kind neighbour's welcoming words and acts of kindness towards him.

This is a wonderful book to share and to discuss self-assurance and braveness by meeting doubts and fears head on. I highly recommend this book.

Such a sweet story! I think any child who has moved to a new neighborhood will appreciate this short tale! Poor, lone;y Tomas, new to the neighborhood and too shy to meet his neighbors. For Halloween his mother gives him a tiger costume to wear. As he goes door to door, he discovers everyone knows it's him in the costume and he makes friends with the neighbors. Pleasantly reassuring! Illustrations were wonderful! I can't wait to see the book in color!