TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM 35
B O O K S J
AN BRETT CREATES worlds where
magic happens—where honey badgers
talk, hedgehogs explore space and
trolls steal your Christmas decorations.
The author, who has sold more than
40 million books, has been a family
favorite for decades. What fans might
not know is that the Massachusetts-based Brett
takes extensive research trips to build her
INTO THE PARKS
“During a research trip, I
am very focused on
gathering material to make
the book authentic—
almost like a treasure
hunt. For Tiger Slippers, my
husband, Joe, and I went
on several wildlife drives
(right) with a guide and
tracker, who can recognize
each individual tiger. I
didn’t take many pictures
because I like to use my
eyes. I was looking for
the way the tigers move,
their different expressions.
Each face is unique.”
elaborate, enchanting realms, from Norway,
Botswana and Japan to Arctic Alaska (for an
upcoming book about a musk ox). Her latest, The
Tale of the Tiger Slippers (G.P. Putnam’s Sons;
US$19), is based on a Middle Eastern folk tale.
Unlike in the original, it’s not merchant Abu
Kassem who learns an important lesson, but a
Bengal tiger—one that lives in a kingdom
inhabited by crocodiles and sloth bears. Brett
visited Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Panna national
parks in Madhya Pradesh, home to India’s largest
population of tigers. She sketched details such as a
carving at Bandhavgarh Fort (below left) and
browsed local markets for treasures like a jaunty
peacock feather duster (left). “Travel helps me feel
like I’m in the world of my book,” Brett says, “and
then I just use my imagination.”—Hannah Walhout
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ADVENTURES IN
TIGER KINGDOM
For her latest children’s book, writer and illustrator
JAN BRETT immersed herself in the extraordinary
sights of central India’s big-cat territory.