Dorje's Stripes

Publishers Weekly

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. (Mar.)

Children's Literature - Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Dorje is a Bengal tiger living amongst Buddhist monks at a Tibetan monastery. He came to the monks weak, hungry, and fearful. Dorje did not have any stripes like a Bengal tiger should. At first the monks did not understand why, until Master Wu entered his dreams. In Dorje's dreams, Master Wu saw tigers being killed in Bengal. Each time a tiger was killed, Dorje lost another stripe. Then one day, Master Wu noticed that Dorje gained a stripe. He had found a female tiger. Master Wu explains to the young boys at the monastery that someday, there will be more tigers, and Dorje will gain more stripes. This story, told by the monk like a folktale, is based on the real peril of the Bengal tiger. The author's note at the back of the book explains how the Royal Bengal tiger is one of the most threatened animals in the world. This beautifully told tale is written by an author from India and illustrated by two Korean illustrators. The illustrations are done in watercolor and capture the beauty of the tiger and also beauty of the monastery near the Himalayan Mountains. Recommended for those that love folktales and want to read a story of hope about the majestic endangered tigers. Reviewer: Marcie Flinchum Atkins

School Library Journal

Gr 1–4—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 monks 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 action and emotions of each character. The last page provides facts about the survival of the Royal Bengal tigers, India's national animal.—Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA

Kirkus Reviews

In a secluded Buddhist monastery nestled in the Himalayas, monks of all ages share their lives with a special friend: a Bengal tiger named Dorje. Dorje is unique in that hehas no stripes—just two dark patches above his eyes. One day the youngest monk, Cheekoo, notices that a stripe has appeared on Dorje's shoulders. This prompts Master Wu to recount the tale of Dorje's arrival at the monastery. He also tells the young monks that he has dream-walked into the sleeping mind of Dorje; there he learned that Dorje once had stripes but lostone for every tiger men killed from his clan. On a walk with Master Wu in the forest, Dorje finds a female tiger, and the stripe Cheekoo noticed suddenly appeared: There may be hope for his clan yet. Indian screenwriter Ruddra's completely muddled tale begins promisingly enough but loses a coherent narrative thread by the halfway mark.Master Wu's lengthy story leaches immediacy from the tale. The Parks'watercolor paintings are quite beautiful, very watery and brushy. However,their depictions of Cheekoo are inconsistent from image to image, andthe number of stripes they give Dorje conflicts with Master Wu's tale and the timeline of the story.A worthysubject that is worthy of a far better treatment.(Picture book. 5-8)