A confident tiger proves that you don’t have to conform to the expectations of others

A young boy knows his pet tiger, Imran, is awesome. The only problem is that Imran doesn’t look like a tiger. To show off his cool pet and impress the other kids, the boy tries to “fix” Imran’s appearance by painting him orange and giving him zig-zag stripes. But Imran won’t play along. Instead of accepting the changes, Imran stays true to himself and insists, “You can’t tame a tiger.”

This humorous and profound story combines narrative text, dialogue bubbles, and expressive art to remind readers that you don’t have to change the unique things about yourself to be accepted and remarkable. It’s a spirited read-aloud that explores identity, self-acceptance, and respect for individuality. It provides a wonderful springboard for discussions on social-emotional learning (SEL), the danger of stereotypes, and the importance of being unapologetically YOU.

CBC Books Best Canadian Children's Book of 2025

Published by Owlkids and illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Julien Chung