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 herINTO 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 WalhoutFR
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ADVENTURES IN
TIGER KINGDOMFor her latest children’s book, writer and illustrator
JAN BRETT immersed herself in the extraordinary
sights of central India’s big-cat territory.