- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Animals
Augustus and His Smile
Part of the Catherine Rayner universeOpen the collection
A beautiful, quiet animal picture book about a tiger searching the world for his lost smile. It is especially strong for children who like gentle journeys, painterly animals and stories where the emotional answer is close to home.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Lyrical
- Conversational
Tone
- Gentle
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Augustus the tiger has lost his smile, so he sets off to find it. His search takes him under bushes, over mountains, across deserts and into the rain, as he explores the natural world with patience and curiosity. Catherine Rayner's debut picture book is simple in plot but rich in mood: the pleasure comes from following Augustus through wide, expressive landscapes and watching his sadness soften into wonder. The story gives young children a gentle emotional arc without becoming heavy or didactic. It can work as a bedtime read, a nature-themed read-aloud, or a quiet conversation starter about noticing beauty and understanding feelings. Rayner's art is the main draw: fluid, textured, spacious and full of animal character. The ending is reassuring, suggesting that happiness can sometimes be found by looking carefully at the world and yourself.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 3–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Animal lovers
- Gentle bedtime
- Beautiful illustrations
- Feelings story
- Nature picture book
Avoid if
- Wants laugh out loud funny
- Needs high energy plot
- Dislikes quiet books
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Bedtime battles
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A lyrical, beautifully illustrated read-aloud about a tiger seeking his smile — a gentle prompt for talk about happiness and what makes us glad.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific charm is the search — Augustus the tiger looking everywhere (under bushes, over mountains, across deserts) for his lost smile and finally finding it in the reflection of every beautiful place he's been. Rayner's painterly tiger carries it. A bedtime book that breathes.
- Adventure and freedom
- Animal companions
- Proving yourself
- Transformation
Why parents love it
Rayner's debut and the book that made her name — loose painterly watercolour, a quietly philosophical animal journey, a small child taken through the wider natural world before the emotional answer arrives. Strong reflective bedtime read.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
About the author & illustrator
Catherine Rayner.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
When you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission — it never costs you more, and it never changes the books we choose. How we’re funded →