They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what I did when this fabulous new picture book arrived on my doorstep this week. I could instantly tell we were going to love it. And we did!

Everyone in the nameless town where Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is set seems to be perfectly fine with the prim-and-proper status quo. But Mr. Tiger has had enough. Something just isn’t satisfying him in bland exchanges about the weather. So he decides he must break free.

Mr. Tiger picture book for kids | Cool Mom Picks

He journeys to the Wilderness, where he has an epiphany of sorts. The question is — how wild is too wild? But I won’t spoil the ending. Let’s just say things get pretty darn fun.

Mr. Tiger | Cool Mom Picks

Peter Brown, the author and illustrator, is a Caldecott Honor winner, and if he isn’t considered again for this book it’d be a shame. The illustrations are modern while still evoking that Downton Abbey feel in the stuffy settings, and the nuance of emotion seen on Mr. Tiger’s face, especially while he’s wandering the Wilderness alone, are strikingly resonant.

Mr. Tiger in the wilderness | Cool Mom Picks

If your kids fall in love with Mr. Tiger as much as mine did, head over to the author’s website for a downloadable activity kit all about Mr. Tiger, complete with matching games, word scrambles, a Mr. Tiger mask, and even holiday gift tags and an ornament!

Order Mr. Tiger Goes Wild from our affiliate Amazon.com, today!