The true story behind it
This one is from our own life. It was 2021, during COVID, and our son was only six or seven months old. My wife and I both tested positive, and we had to quarantine apart from him for about a week while he stayed with his grandparents. When we were finally able to see him again, it was overwhelming. He couldn’t talk yet, but he clapped his hands and smiled and smiled when he saw us. I wrote Stripes from that, a tiger who’s hurt and can’t get home to the family waiting for him, until Kitty and Dino heal his wound and help him back.
What happens in the story
Stripes the tiger was walking in the hills when he stepped on something sharp. Now his paw hurts too much to walk, and he can’t get back to his family. “They must be very scared,” he says.
Kitty and Dino find the trouble, a big thorn stuck deep in his paw, and Dino draws it out with a soft green light. Then they rest for the night. Kitty’s wind sweeps fallen leaves into a soft bed, and Dino grows moss and a leafy roof over it. Stripes still worries about his family, and Dino tells him they’ll be fine with their mother.
By morning the paw is much better, but home is still far away over rocky ground. So Kitty shapes a gentle slope down toward the hills and a sled made of smooth dirt, and with a push from Dino’s vine, they slide all the way. Three little cubs and their mother come running to meet him.
Looking for a children’s book about tigers?
Tiger books are usually about being fierce. Stripes is a dad who’s hurt and far from home, and all he wants is to get back to his cubs.
So it’s a comforting read when someone in your family is away. The worry in the story is real, and so is the happy ending. Stripes makes it home.
Look inside
Flip through the opening pages of the book.
Questions to ask after reading
A few questions for the minute after the book closes. There are no wrong answers.
- Stripes worried his family would be scared. How do you feel when someone you love is away?
- How did Kitty and Dino get Stripes home so fast?
- Stripes said, “We will always come running if you call.” Who would you call if you needed help?
Perfect for
- ✓ Families who have been apart, for any reason
- ✓ Talking gently about missing someone
- ✓ A comforting, reassuring bedtime read
- ✓ A tender gift with a lot of heart
Quick answers
A tender story about the joy of coming home
One short story. One family reunited. Ready for tonight.
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