“An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns”
by Betsy R. Rosenthal, illustrated by Jago
Millbrook Press, Minneapolis, 2015, 32 pages, grades 2-4.
Teaching grammar is difficult for most teachers. First of all, grammar is not all that exciting to begin with. Second, it is complicated. Finally, many students find the subject very boring. So it is important to find children’s literature capable of inspiring children in their study of the parts of speech and writing.
Betsy Rosenthal has written a witty, interesting picture book about collective nouns. These nouns denote groups or gatherings of animals. Many collective nouns are colorful and descriptive. Rosenthal writes in rhyming four couplets. The name of this delightful book is “An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns.”
The story begins in a jungle with many animals and birds running across or flying over the verdant plains. Rosenthal asks a question as the book begins: “Do you ever wonder what animals do when they gather in groups of more than two?” On turning the page, readers will see a tower of giraffes looking down on a raft of otters floating in a stream.
Next, “leaps of leopards jump through trees while armies of herring march in the seas.” This is followed by a pack of wolves and a cast of hawks. Readers will soon understand that the word (noun) before the word “of” is the collective noun and holds the key to understanding the writing and the illustration.
Many names for the animals are cleverly drawn by the illustrator for a double effect. For example, the sharks are wrapped in scarves and winter hats because the collective noun for sharks is “shiver.” The pheasants are colorfully displayed in a vase resembling flowers because a group is known as a “bouquet.”
More and more animals tumble from the pages as readers encounter a clutter of cats, a flush of mallards, a murder of crows and a stand of flamingos. The animals continue to make us laugh as they drive buses, solve crimes and even do the rumba. What other actions do the animals carry out?
Why are skunks and gorillas on the same page in the story? What are the lizards doing at the poolside? Are there any groups that you would like to join? What name would you give them? To find out all of the collective nouns for the animal groups, go to the library and check out this entertaining picture book, “An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns” by Betsy Rosenthal.
This book is pure fun with an educational purpose. While my favorite illustration in children’s literature is Jan Brett’s painting of the sleeping Goldilocks, this book simply has the coolest picture I have encountered in the field of children’s literature. Just a hint, it has something to do with the title.
This is a book to be shared with the younger members of your family. As well, the story works well to tell about collective nouns. Each collective noun used by Rosenthal is accurate for each set of animals.
I hope you take the opportunity to read this delightful, funny book. Just be careful, one group is waiting in ambush. Enjoy!
