Tyger

Two young Muslim artists battle colonial tyranny in this hopeful parable by Said (Phoenix). In an alternate-reality, present-day London, where enslaved people serve a white ruling class, Adam works as a courier for his Middle Eastern Muslim immigrant family’s alterations shop, often enduring violent racial harassment along his routes. During one such incident, Adam is rescued by the enormous, wounded Tyger, an immortal being in the form of a jungle cat that’s being hunted by another immortal, the brutal shape-shifter Urizen. Through fantastical, dreamlike scenes that offset harsh depictions of the city, Adam discovers his own innate spiritual abilities and soon finds a kindred spirit in Zadie, a Black Muslim teen from Timbuktu. Together they embark on a mystical quest to help Tyger defeat Urizen. Bursting with timely observations on pervasive totalitarian bigotry, this tale’s mixture of adventure and cosmic philosophy makes it as thoughtful as it is propulsive. Effectively moody grayscale illustrations by McKean (Black Dog), which resemble expressionistic woodcuts, appear throughout. Ages 9–12. (June)