My Tiger

by Joy Cowley, David Barrow (Illustrator)

My tiger loved cake, and I went with him to the cake shop. Then he got a bad tooth, so I went with him to the dentist.



My tiger didn’t like sitting in the waiting room, climbing onto the dentist chair, or being told by the dentist what to eat. Especially when she said no more cake!



What’s a tiger supposed to eat?



A bossy adult is made to look silly and a charming tiger wins the reader’s heart in this subversively funny story about a love of cake and the pull of natural tiger instincts.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Food

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 3, 2026

About the author

Cassia Joy Cowley is a New Zealand author best known for her children's fiction, including the popular series of books Mrs. Wishy-Washy.

Reviews

[Patricia Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

It ends so abruptly.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in New Zealand. Caution: The sudden, hocking, dark humor at the end of this book might upset some readers who are very sensitive.

When the boy's pet tiger (who only eats cake) bites on something that damages his tooth, the boy takes him to see the dentist. The dentist repairs the tiger's tooth. When he is told "no more cake - and to eat what other tigers eat", he does.

This is a one-joke story. Not alot of depth in it. The best things about it were the repeated humorous line 'He only eats cake' and to see the veterinarian depicted as a woman, although she had a skeptical expression on her face.

There are several unsettling things in this story. I may be wrong, but the Tiger's eyes seem to be looking hungrily at him and licking his lips on the opening page. Did anyone notice how monstrous that tiger is, compared to the size of the boy (and later the veterinarian) as they walk by the patisserie and ginormous his head is in the window? Why does the boy take the tiger to a dentist rather than a veterinarian? Why does the dentist not make any eye contact until after she tells the tiger 'no more cake"? What does the dentist expect, when she takes his cupcake away from the tiger, holding it on the other side of her?

Except for the large scale of the tiger, the mixed media artwork by David Barrow was quite charming. I am glad he did not depict the tiger eating the dentist, rather all we see left behind are her black boots and the cupcake she was holding.

Not really sure how to recommend this book - as it may very well upset kids who do not understand its dark humor. It will take a special kid to stomach this. Recommended for gr K-2 with reservations.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy and his tiger visit a cake shop because, of course, the tiger only eats cake. But unfortunately, with all that cake-eating, the tiger gets a toothache and must visit the dentist. After some appropriate sounds from the treatment room and heard by other patients in the waiting room, all is well with the tooth and Tiger is told he must not eat cake anymore and must eat what tigers do—so he eats the dentist.

Loved David Burrow’s illustrations and the story line was full of fun and possibilities…right up until the last page when the tiger eats the dentist. While none of the actual eating is shown, the abrupt and totally violent end was neither fun nor something I would read to the probable target audience of toddlers to first grade.

Thanks for sharing this finished hardcover book with me, Lerner Publishing Group, but this one is not for me.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love tigers. Heck, I love cats. That was enough for me to want to read this book. But then the Tiger gets a toothache and has to visit the dentist. Uh. Nobody warned me. TRIGGER WARNING: Dentists. I loath dentists, and orthodontists for that matter, it seems every time someone puts their fingers in my mouth it causes me excruciating pain. To be fair, every dentist or orthodontist who has looked at my teeth has said something to the affect of “you have the hardest teeth I’ve ever seen,” so I count myself lucky. But I do wish I had some warning before reading this. In my defense, there’s a Tiger on the cover. So why would I read the back cover? I mean. Tiger. Right? And then we come to the end. Well, that was DARK. I loved it. But dang, that was DARK. 🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiger that only easts cake gets a tooth ache and has to go to the dentist. But when the dentist tells the tiger he can't eat cake..well let's just say the ending is not suitable for younger kids. I was hoping to read this to toddlers for ST, but think it would need to be for elementary school students since the ending is abit eating a human sad.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, peppy with cutesy illustrations and a hilariously dark ending. After all, the dentist did tell the tiger to stop eating cake. If you share other picture books with dark twists with children, ala I Want My Hat Back, then add this to your repertoire.

[Krystal Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

We chuckled at the ending of this one!🤭 Silly tiger who may like cake only- but maybe also have some natural instincts that aren’t so light and fluffy. It didn’t bother us in this house, bit of a “darker” ending…if you will. But, my 7 year old wasn’t phased by the children’s book that ended abruptly with a wild surprise….dentist should have listened!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful! The pictures are fantastic and the story is humorous (surprise abrupt ending). It will make a great read aloud.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stand with Tiger. Coworkers worried this might lead to some dental phobias for kids reading but I, too, would like to eat a dentist or two so that felt relatable. There were also concerned that the tiger will now eat the child but I think he's just going back to his all cake diet which, again, relatable.