Tuki and Human Friends

TUKI THE TIGER

A Middle Grade Novel
by Alexis Krasilovsky and Shameem Akhtar
Illustrations by Tiger Nazir


Platform

Tuki will become a major international figure for children. People identify with the Bengal Tiger because of the tiger's courage. In Bangladesh, that courage was paramount in winning the Liberation War that turned the country into a democracy. TUKI THE TIGER also conveys a powerful message for young readers everywhere about the importance of family, friends and compassion.

Here is an excerpt from the Teacher's Guide for "Tuki The Tiger:"

Bangladesh is a lush green country, with the sea in the south and hills in the north and southeast. The country faces all kinds of tropical natural hazards, including ferocious storms and flooding. Due to the greenhouse effect, with the melting of ice in the Arctic, the Sundarbans face greatly increased threats of flooding. Even if the people adapt to this worsening situation, the tigers face threats of inundation that may be insurmountable. Tuki's story raises awareness about endangered species, as well as celebrating the courage of the people of Bangladesh in the face of adversity.

Book Contents

CHAPTER 1 TUKI'S FAMILY 1
CHAPTER 2 A TIGER FAMILY IS TORN APART 16
CHAPTER 3 THE TIGER CUBS FIND BABA 26
CHAPTER 4 THE TIGERS NEED MORE HELP 38
CHAPTER 5 WHAT LONELINESS MEANS IF YOU'RE A TIGER 47
CHAPTER 6 WHEN NATURE IS FIERCER THAN A TIGER 56
CHAPTER 7 TUKI LEARNS ABOUT ELECTIONS 71
CHAPTER 8 TUKI'S DREAM 80
CHAPTER 9 TUKI AND DEMOCRACY 85
CHAPTER 10 THE ANIMAL BRIGADE 94
  Timeline 106
  Teacher's Guide 107
  Activities 114


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Tales of India: Folk Tales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu by Svabhu Kohli
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Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India by Chitra Soundar
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The Elephant's Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India by Marcia Williams (author-illustrator), Candlewick, 40 pages, 2014
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, Ladybird Classics (Penguin), 72 pages, 2015
The Cow Who Fell in the Canal by Phyllis Krasilovsky, Egmont Books, 38 pages, 2004
Indian Children's Favorite Stories: Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales by Rosemarie Somaiah, Illustrated by B. Ranjan Somaiah, Tuttle Publishing, 64 pages, 2020
Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel (author-illustrator), Chronicle Books, 186 pages, 2010
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, Illustrated by Garth Williams, Harper, 184 pages, 2012
Animal Farm by George Orwell, Signet Classics, 152 pages, 1946, 1977



Word Count

28,431 words – 15 full color illustrations

(Note: Illustrations can be reproduced in black and white in the interior of the book, with color for the cover.)