The Tiny Tiger

This warm and straightforward story, a metaphor for adoption, draws from a Chinese proverb asserting that an invisible, unbreakable red thread "connects those destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance." Each time Tong the tiger roars, he hears a "tiny roar" coming from the other side of the mountain and assumes it's his echo. Setting out to find it, he encounters fellow tiger Jen-jen, who tells him she is following a red string "wherever it goes," and invites him to come along. The string leads them to a cave, where they find a young tiger who wears a pink bow and has the end of the string tied to her paw. Tong and Jen-jen name her Lila, and the three "lived happily ever after." In keeping with the simplicity of the tale, Barrow's digital cartoons are suggestive of grade-school workbooks or early computer games. Chan clearly pulls from personal experience: her bio states that she and her husband "followed their red thread" to China, where they adopted their daughter. A rosy story for adoptive parents to share with their children. Ages 3%E2%80%936.