Dorje’s Stripes

Publisher’s Weekly  (January 24, 2011) http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/childrens.html?page=2

Nestled in the Himalayas is a Buddhist monastery where monks live with a Royal Bengal tiger named Dorje, who has an unusual characteristic: in his two years at the monastery, he has lost all of his stripes. But when the youngest monk notices that Dorje has a new stripe, Master Wu tells the story of how hungry, weak, and afraid Dorje was when he first arrived. He also describes entering Dorje’s dreams, where he learned that each of Dorje’s vanished stripes represented another tiger killed by hunters. Working in brilliant, seeping watercolors, the Korean illustrating team plays up the mystical elements of the story (Dorje almost appears to be aflame in some scenes, and they show murdered tigers floating on small rocks against a celestial backdrop), while underscoring the dangers the tigers face (one is shot in mid-leap, blood exploding from its chest). But the new stripe on Dorje means he has found a female companion, bringing hope for Royal Bengal tiger populations. A closing note about the tigers’ vulnerability adds urgency to this subtle story about preservation and survival. Ages 5–9.

School Library Journal (April 2011)

Dorje is a Royal Bengal tiger. During the two years that he has lived in a small Buddhist monastery, his stripes have disappeared, one by one. Then one day, the youngest monk notices a new stripe. One of the elder monk’s explains that Dorje’s original home was in a dense jungle full of beautiful tigers until men came hunting them for their skins and sport. Every time one was killed, Dorje lost a stripe. In order to survive, he found his way to the monastery. Now he has met a female Royal Bengal tiger in the forest and his stripes are beginning to grow back, offering hope that the animals will survive. This heartwarming story is enhanced by stunning watercolors that add to its peaceful tone and suggest a quiet beauty as well as depict the actions and emotions of each character. The last page provides facts about the survival of the Royal Bengal tigers, India’s national animal.