Tyger by S F Said

Illustrated by Dave McKean

David Fickling Books

ISBN 978-1-78845-283-0 Publishing October 2022

It is rare that I find, among the thousands of children’s books I have read, one that I would introduce into my secondary school curriculum. I recommend and encourage the vast majority for youngsters to read for pleasure – something about there being the right book somewhere for everyone, and me not being the gatekeeper of which books they will be – but I have always vowed not to introduce a book into my curriculum unless it is a fabulous read AND a brilliantly well-written book. The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell is the kind of standard I am impressed by. 

And now I have found another gem in Tyger by S F Said.

The story is an exciting one, with humble, likeable characters learning about themselves and the world while on a quest to save the mythical creature they have found. At times it is frightening, at times sad, sometimes funny or warm, and always engaging.  The setting is at once out of this world, and yet sufficiently within it to make readers start questioning their own world.

I was excited by the spelling of Tyger with a ‘y’ which promised a nod to William Blake, I thought. I love the way this story engages with many of Blake’s ideas and with his language and characters (the lamb, Urizen..). The London presented is as miserable as Blake’s London with its poverty and consequent living conditions, and with the ghetto full of people suffering the indignity of ‘mind-forged manacles’. So Adam and Zadie’s quest chimes with the Romantic view that nature and humanity are interconnected and mutually necessary; their need to save the tyger as a character will also save the world and restore a sense of hope. They become friends who learn that they are strong enough to bring about the change they want to see.

The stunning cover- with the exotic tiger, its eye burning bright, its fur made up of patterns like feathers and fire, and an inset of key London landmarks all of which add up to a further nod to the Romantic conflict between nature and industry – is only the beginning. The story is illustrated throughout with bold drawings which remind me of Blake’s artistic engravings.

All of this is bound up in a story which is as much about the importance of stories as it is an adventure in itself. Zadie’s birth name is Scheherazade, the teller of stories in The Tale of One Thousand and One Nights; Adam’s mother is a proficient artist whose paintings tell the story of her birthplace and Adam has inherited her talent. The story being told is one of these two characters, but also one of community, of fighting back against oppression, of seeing the world in a more visionary way. It is a Blakeian fantasy which illustrates what similar times we are living through now.

Said says he thinks this is his best book yet- it’s actually one of the best you will ever read: a true classic has been born. The many layers mean I will keep re-reading this book (extremely rare for me) and will keep finding new depths. Said says it took him nine years to bring this book to fruition – its quality is testament to that.

Thank you very much to David Fickling Books and Independent Alliance for my proof copy of this book.