PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED) --
As the first book in a series that
focuses on a day in the life of a wild animal in its natural habitat, this
wordless graphic novel will engage those who enjoy comics in their purest form.
Brremaud (Eleanor) and Bertolucci (Dinodino's Dinosaur Adventures) give us a
jungle where life is as transitory as it is beautiful, following the tiger on a
day's adventures, the law of its natural environment defined as much by instinct
and happenstance as by might. Some creatures make the most narrow escapes and
others, far more powerful, are not nearly as lucky. What's most impressive is
the worldbuilding-depicting a world that, as the book tells us, is defined by
“an elemental love. A love that mankind can never experience.”
Visually, the book is a marvel, with panel after panel of Bertolucci's gorgeous
palette of jungle greens disrupted by the tiger's distinctive orange blaze. The
other animals are beautifully rendered, and the storytelling has the feeling of
an animated film. Despite the lack of words, readers will find this book very
well written.<br /><br /><br />

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- Brremaud,
Frederic. Love: The Tiger. illus. by Federico Bertolucci. 80p. (Love: Bk. 1.)
Magnetic. 2015. Tr. $17.99. ISBN 9780991332441. Gr 4-6-This wordless story is
the first in a series of wildlife books that each focus on a day in the life of
a different wild animal in its natural habitat. A full-page panel of the jungle
setting framed by lush limbs and vines gives readers a view that puts them into
the action from the very first page turn. Only a few words of text on the
dedication page set the tone for this series by enforcing the idea that animals
don't deal in love and hate; rather, they exist in a delicate balance that
recognizes both parts as a universal or ?elemental love.? The first animal who
comes into view is the majestic Bengal tiger who is the main character of the
first volume. The tiger expertly hunts a tapir who manages a risky, but
successful, escape via waterfall. As the story progresses, readers are
introduced to many predator and prey relationships that support the overall
theme of balance in the animal kingdom. There are multiple scenes of violence in
which animals battle, sometimes to the death, though there is not too much
bloodshed. Death is represented by the stillness of the creature that loses a
battle as opposed to a complete destruction. Once a death has occurred, the
pacing moves the story forward gracefully and there isn't much time to dwell on
an animal's passing. The book ends with a scene of violence in which the tiger
attacks a human who is cleaning his weapon and preparing the skin of a recently
slain beast. An excerpt from The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri bookends this
tale with thoughts on death and nature. The finely detailed watercolor artwork
that offers unique perspectives and close-up views of jungle life combined with
expertly controlled pacing gives this graphic novel a nature documentary feel.
This book was originally published in France in 2011, and it received the
special jury selection award at the Festival of Comics in Italy of that same
year. VERDICT This beautiful slice-of-life graphic novel presents a realistic
view of the balance between predator and prey in the jungle and would be a nice
addition to most collections.-Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and
Hamilton County, OH<br /><br /><br />