Book Review of Who Am I? Tigers and Other Big Cats
The Children’s Book Review
Who Am I? Tigers and Other Big Cats
Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer
Illustrated by Travis Foster
Ages: 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Highlights Press (2026) | ISBN: 978-1-63962-437-9
What to Expect: Animals, big cats, riddles, puzzles, nature, wildlife.
This riddle-based puzzle book uses rhymes and interactive questions to teach young readers fascinating facts about tigers and other big cats.
Who Am I? Tigers and Other Big Cats invites readers to solve animal mysteries through rhyming clues about physical traits and behaviors. Each riddle is followed by a reveal of the animal—ranging from the swimming tiger to the mountain-dwelling snow leopard—accompanied by a collection of bite-sized, amazing facts. The book concludes with a matching game for additional felines, a knowledge quiz, and a helpful glossary.
Engaging and educational, Jody Jensen Shaffer’s text utilizes a rhythmic, rhyming structure for the riddles that makes them fun to read aloud. Factual sections are presented in clear, concise nuggets of information. Bold text and capitalization are used to emphasize key terms and measurements, such as a tiger’s ability to swim THREE MILES or a lion’s PRIDE—this approach effectively balances the playful nature of a puzzle book with substantive scientific information about animal habitats, diets, and unique adaptations.
The layout of the pages is colorful and dynamic, using speech bubbles, varied fonts, and interactive elements such as a matching game and a quiz to keep the reader’s eye moving across the page. Illustrations are integrated with photographic elements, such as close-ups of specific features like a snow leopard’s fluffy tail or furry paws, to help children visualize the real-world details mentioned in the text. Bringing extra kid appeal, Travis Foster’s artwork is vibrant and playful, featuring stylized, friendly illustrations of big cats that resonate with a younger audience.
Who Am I? Tigers and Other Big Cats is a delightful educational tool that successfully combines play with learning. It will be most enjoyed by curious children who love animals and interactive puzzles, as well as parents and educators looking for an engaging way to introduce wildlife biology.
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About the Author
Jody Jensen Shaffer is an award-winning poet and the author of more than 50 books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including Prudence the Part-Time Cow, A Chip off the Old Block, It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus!, Emergency Kittens!, and more. When she’s not writing, Jody can be found watching baseball or walking her rescue dog, Sophie.
Visit her at jodyjensenshaffer.com.
About the Illustrator
Travis Foster is a children’s book author and illustrator who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Travis has written and illustrated several children’s books. His work has been featured in Highlights, Forbes, Reader’s Digest, and The Wall Street Journal. Publishers include Highlights Press, Penguin Random House, Chronicle Books, and Disney.
