Raj, the Bookstore Tiger    by Kathleen Pelley & Paige Keiser Order:  USA  Can Charlesbridge, 2011 (2011) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch The marmalade kitty in this charming picture book for children five and older is convinced that he is a tiger – a bookstore tiger. Raj's job is to patrol the store, sit on laps at story time, and sleep in the window display. All is well with the little orange tiger until Snowball arrives. A feline with a nasty disposition, Snowball quickly informs Raj that he IS NOT a tiger but just a cat. With his confidence shaken, Raj begins to avoid people and he becomes one very unhappy kitty. Felicity, the owner of the bookstore, partially restores Raj's confidence when she reads him William Blake's famous 'Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright in the forests of the night' poem. Then a visiting author from India stops by the shop and shares a slide show of his native land. When a Bengal tiger pops up on the screen, Snowball runs, but Raj rears up with his eyes flashing and tiger lashing and confronts the image. What a brave kitty, or should that be bookstore tiger! Now, the only thing left to do is restore peace in the shop. Raj manages to do that and actually makes Snowball his buddy so all ends well. You'll love this story and the illustrations that show that if you have a big enough heart and believe in yourself, anything is possible. Ask Raj, the bookstore tiger, He'll tell you that confidence is everything! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews