With distinctive striped coats and elusive behavior, tigers are perhaps the most popular apex predator in fiction and non-fiction books alike. But the grim reality is that the tiger population the world over faces an uncertain future due to human activities and habitat loss.
That’s why our roundup of books about tigers includes several that draw attention to the plight of these magnificent big cats and the humans who risk their lives to protect them.
From autobiography and fantasy to comical fiction, we compiled a list of our favorite books about tigers for your reading pleasure.
A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for the Best Books About Tigers
1. Living with Tigers by Valmik Thapar
Do you find tigers captivating? Then this book should be on your reading list. The author, Valmik Thapar, chronicles his experiences in Ranthambore National Park, which he first visited when he was 23.
Living with Tigers reflects his love for the majestic beasts as he recounts significant insights about the old days of Indian tiger reserves and fascinating observations on tiger behavior.
Tiger sightings in those days were uncommon because they were primarily nocturnal. In addition, the felines were extremely shy and not accustomed to being around people.
Thapar observed about 200 Ranthambore tigers over 40 years. Some of his favorite tigers whose stories he tells fondly include Padmini Tigress, Genghis, Broken Tooth, Noon, and Machli. Each with its unique traits.Â
This book is a 2016 publication of Aleph Book Company, and it contains 240 pages. Take your time to enjoy the book while it transports you to the historic Ranthambore Park. It’s available in hardcover and on Kindle.
Pros and Cons of Living with Tigers by Valmik Thapar
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book chronicles author Valmik Thapar’s experiences in Ranthambore National Park. Thapar has observed about 200 tigers over the past 40 years, each of which has its own unique traits. | None. |
- 240 pages.
- A vivid description of interactions with tigers.
- It sparks the interest of a reader in tigers.
2. Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed by Alan Rabinowitz
Alan Rabinowitz lived up to his “Indiana Jones of Wildlife Science” title, bestowed on him by The New York Times. In this book, he recounts his journey to the Hukaung Valley in Northern Myanmar while on a mission to establish the largest tiger reserve in the world.
The book chronicles the fight with his diagnosed illness. It also describes his romance with a Thai woman, his marriage, and his experiences as a father.
His exploits in rugged terrain, harsh political climate, plane crashes, and unfriendly situations guarantee a gripping read.
This book has 248 pages which draw you into the inspiring life of the author and his courageous efforts to save wildlife. It is available as a paperback, hardcover, audio CD, and Kindle.
The renowned wildlife scientist and conservationist was the CEO of Panthera, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the 40 different species of wild cats and their ecosystems.
Pros and Cons of Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed by Alan RabinowitzÂ
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book recounts author Alan Rabinowitz’s journey to the Hukaung Valley in Northern Myanmar to establish the largest tiger reserve in the world. | Some reviewers said that the book got bogged down with statistics and politics. |
| The book is filled with romance, adventure, and tragedy. |
- 248 pages.
- An adventurous story behind the establishment of the largest tiger reserve in the world.
- An honest narrative about dealing with challenging circumstances.
- A must-read for conservation advocates.
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
If you’ve seen the Life of Pi movie, you should read the original book that inspired it. The award-winning novel by Yann Martel is a tale about the unlikely bond that grows between a teenage boy named Pi Patel and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
When a Canada-bound cargo ship sinks in the Pacific Ocean, the boy and tiger are among the only survivors. Others include a hyena, an orangutan, and an injured zebra.
Richard Parker eliminates all of them, except Pi. Pi works to survive alongside the tiger on the lifeboat, using his cleverness, fear, and knowledge to do so.
Translated into several languages, including French and Danish, millions of copies have sold globally. It was on The New York Times and The Globe and Mail best-selling lists for over a year.
This book won the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In 2004, it received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in Best Adult Fiction for 2001-2003.
It was adapted into a feature film directed by Ang Lee in 2012. The Life of Pi movie won four Oscars, notably the Academy Award for Best Directing. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
In April 2022, it was recognized on the Big Jubilee Read list of 70 works by Commonwealth authors to commemorate Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee.
A few reviewers said that they couldn’t understand why this book is considered to be so great.
Pros and Cons of Life of Pi by Yann Martel
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This award-winning novel by Yann Martel is about the unlikely bond that grows between a teenage boy named Pi Patel and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Pi and Richard Parker are among the only survivors of a shipwreck. Others include a hyena, an orangutan, and an injured zebra. Richard Parker eliminates all of them except Pi, who uses cleverness, fear, and knowledge to survive alongside the tiger. | A few reviewers said that they couldn’t understand why this book is considered to be so great. |
| This book sold millions of copies in several languages and remained on The New York Times and The Globe and Mail best-selling lists for over a year. | |
| It also won the 2002 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In 2004, it received the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in Best Adult Fiction for 2001-2003. | |
| It was adapted into a feature film directed by Ang Lee in 2012. The Life of Pi movie won four Oscars, notably the Academy Award for Best Directing. | |
| In April 2022, it was recognized on the Big Jubilee Read list of 70 works by Commonwealth authors to commemorate Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee. |
4. Tigers in the Snow by Peter Matthiessen (Author) and Maurice Hornocker (Photographer)
The distinctive poetic writing style of Peter Matthiessen and the beautiful photography by Maurice Hornocker give readers a glimpse into the wilderness.
After the fall of the Soviet Union exacerbated poaching and habitat loss in Russia, a team of Russian scientists and American wildlife biologists collaborated to prevent the extinction of the Siberian tiger.
Readers feel like a part of the struggle to protect tigers. The book describes the evolution of the species and alludes to its significant, innate status in human societies and myths.
This book is available in audio CD, hardback, paperback, and audiobook formats.
Pros and Cons of Tigers in the Snow by Peter Matthiessen (Author) and Maurice Hornocker (Photographer)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book combines the poetic writing style of Peter Matthiessen with Maurice Hornocker’s stunning photography. | A few reviewers said that they didn’t like this book, with one pronouncing it “quite boring.” |
| It’s about a team of Russian scientists and American wildlife biologists who collaborated to prevent the extinction of the Siberian tiger. |
- 208 pages.
- A well-documented breakdown of the remaining tigers in the wild.
- Evocative pictures.
- Descriptive anthropology of the Siberian tiger.
5. A Tiger for Malgudi by R K Narayan
This story is written from the perspective of a tiger set in the fictitious town of Malgudi in South India. The author, R.K Narayan, combines the Hindu legend and the humorous viewpoint of his previous Malgudi books.
The tiger, who possesses the soul of an enlightened being, amusingly narrates the different incidents and experiences that happened over time. First, the tiger goes from being wild and free in the forest to being captured by poachers. He then recollects being stuck in a wretched circus career as Raja the Magnificent and being sold to the zoo till he becomes old.
A Tiger for Malgudi comes in mass-market paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and paperback formats.
A handful of reviewers didn’t enjoy this book. One called it “strange.” Another said that it wasn’t one of the author’s best books. And another said that the book was about animal abuse.
Pros and Cons of A Tiger for Malgudi by R K Narayan
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book is narrated by a tiger who posses the soul of an enlightened being. | Reviewers called the book “strange.”, said it was about animal abuse and it wasn’t one of the author’s best books. |
| It follows the tiger from being wild and free in the forest to being captured by poachers, stuck in a career, and more. |
- 176 pages.
- An unusual story told from the perspective of a tiger.
- Humorous touch based on folklore.
6. The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant
The year is 1997, and a man-eating tiger prowls outside a rural area in the Russian Far East. A group of men and dogs must brave the cold and pursue the tiger through the forest. But, unfortunately, the tiger is not only killing people; it is completely destroying them.
The trackers sort the horrible remains of the victims, with the realization that the tiger is presumably out for vengeance. The attacks are not random, so the tiger must be located quickly to prevent another.
This book is centered on three characters; the tiger, the lead tracker charged with finding the tiger, and the poacher the tiger murdered. In 352 pages, John Vaillant explores the complex and occasionally tumultuous interaction between people and nature.
The book won the 2010 British Columbia National Award for Canadian non-fiction. In addition, it was voted The Globe and Mail Best Book for Science the same year, and its French translation got the Nicolas Bouvier Prize in 2012.
Pros and Cons of The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This true book is about a man-eating tiger in rural Russia in 1997. The tiger is committing killings that are clearly retribution, not random. | A few reviewers said that the book was poorly written and “bloated.” |
| It focuses on the tiger, the lead tracker charged with finding the tiger, and the poacher the tiger murdered. | |
| The book won the 2010 British Columbia National Award for Canadian non-fiction. In addition, it was voted The Globe and Mail Best Book for Science the same year, and its French translation got the Nicolas Bouvier Prize in 2012. |
- 352 pages.
- Perfect for mystery lovers.
- A balance between history and conservation advocacy.
- Poignant and fast-moving.
7. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
No, we did not leave the kids out when choosing books about tigers. What better book to represent kids than this classic written and illustrated by Judith Kerr?
The Tiger Who Came to Tea was first published in 1968, but it has remained an all-time favorite across generations.
The doorbell rings as Sophie, a young girl, and her mother are having tea in their kitchen. A kind tiger joins them and consumes all the tea, food, and water from the faucets.
The next day, Sophie goes grocery shopping with her mum and buys a large tin of tiger food. However, the tiger never comes back.
This book has been translated into other languages, such as Japanese, Welsh, German, and Hebrew. It has also been produced in braille.
It was adapted for the stage in 2008. The television adaptation was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on Christmas Eve of 2019.
It won the 2017 Specsavers Platinum Best Seller Award and Children Classic prize at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards in 2018.
A Tiger Who Came to Tea is available in audio CD, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. It contains 32 pages, which makes the book perfect for 1- to 4-year-olds.
In the 2012 Birthday Honors, Kerr was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to literature and Holocaust education.
Pros and Cons of The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This children’s classic was written and illustrated by Judith Kerr. It was originally published in 1968. | Some reviewers didn’t like this story, saying that the tiger’s rudeness didn’t set a good example for children. |
| In this story, a tiger rings the doorbell while Sophie, a young girl, and her mother are having tea. The tiger eats all their food, drinks, all their tea, and even drinks all the water from their faucets! Sophie and her mother buy a large tin of tiger food the next day, but the tiger never returns. | |
| The book has been translated into a wide variety of languages, including braille. It has also been adapted for the stage and television. | |
| It won the 2017 Specsavers Platinum Best Seller Award and Children Classic prize at the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards in 2018. | |
| In the 2012 Birthday Honors, Kerr was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to literature and Holocaust education. |
- 32 pages.
- Excellent as a gift for preschoolers
- A timeless masterpiece to be passed from generation to generation
- Available in German, Hebrew, Welsh and Japanese
How to Choose the Best Book About Tigers
When you’re shopping for the best book about tigers, you’ll need to keep two main criteria in mind: type and format. Let’s take a look at these factors:
Type
The books featured in this review fall into three basic categories: non-fiction, fiction, and children’s. If you’re looking for a book that will teach you more about the perilous plight of tigers as endangered species, you’ll want to select one of our non-fiction selections such as Living with Tigers or Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed. If you’re interested in a lighter, more entertaining read, go for a fiction book such as Life of Pi or A Tiger for Malgudi. And if you’re buying a book for a child, they’re sure to love The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
Format
These days, books are available in a wide range of formats, including Kindle, Audiobook, paperback, and hardcover. Photo books, such as Tigers in the Snow, are usually easiest to enjoy in hardcover format. Paperback and hardcover are ideal for kids’ books. All others are easiest to read — and most portable — in Kindle format.
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