Track of the Tiger: Legend and Lore of the Great Cat, edited by by Maurice Hornocker, is a collection of 9 previously published or original essays essays written by various authors. This collections functions as a specialized nonfiction book about tigers. Even though this book covers specific and limited information about the topic, the information in this text is geared to the personal interests of children in grades 4-6.
Filled with beautiful photographs of tigers in action, the book is beautifully put together. The photographs are large and of high quality, and these pictures capture the regal cat walking, wading, running, jumping, climbing, and fighting. Some of the photographs do not contain captions, and some do. However each photograph is strategically chosen to represent some aspect of tiger life. The captions not only explain the photographs, but also provide the reader with important and interesting facts about tigers. For example, in a photograph where a tiger is fully stretched upward clawing the bark of a tree, the caption reads,”Marking territory by scraping is a means of communicating as well as of claw-cleaning. A tree, once chosen, is used repeatedly, and large tigers score deep, longitudinal cuts into the bark” (82). A young reader would be drawn to the beautiful photographs, and at the same time, would also be able to learn interesting facts as well. On pages dominated by large portions of text, a photograph of a tiger is superimposed into the background, similar to a watermark spanning a two-page spread, and the information is delivered in a clear, conversational tone.

One of the most interesting chapters in the book was written by R.K. Narayan, and is titled “The Tiger’s Tale.” The entire essay is written in 1st person from the perspective of a tiger living in captivity in a zoo. I admit, this chapter is a bit of creative writing where the author personifies the animal as a proud, fierce, and regal captive. The language is vivid and at times gruesome. When this tiger is remembering the disrespect one of the “lower” tigers had given him years ago, him, he shares how he asserted himself: :

I came across a recalcitrant member of our society who probably thought highly of himself and I always noted, through a corner of my eye, how he pretended not to have seen me, looking the other way or asleep behind a thorny bush out of my reach. I made a mental note of such lapses of courtesy and never failed to punish him when a chance occurred. It might not be more than a scratch or a bite while passing him the next time, but that would take days to heal, and he would lose an eye or a tooth or earn a cut on his lips making it impossible for him to eat his food, all of which I counted as a trophy. Whenever I saw the creature again, you may be sure he never displayed any arrogance. Among our jungle community, we had an understanding, which was an acknowledgement of my superiority, unquestioned, undisputed…” (78-9).

I think R.K.Narayan writes like this in order to communicate unspoken laws of tiger life in the wild. A child visiting a zoo may only see a large cat who sleeps in the shade, but this essay reminds the reader that this beast, that could have been raised in captivity, could also have been a leader before he was made a prisoner for visitors to come and see.

Track of the Tiger is an interesting read, and would be great as a supplemental text in a classroom for students grades 4-6 in order to help them extend content area. ( )