I’m looking for a children’s book I read in the late 80’s. From what I can remember it was about a boy in pajamas that is chasing a tiger or other large cat, but pretty sure it wasn’t a lion, I don’t remember a mane. The tiger was hidden on every page, in the background such as hidden as a pattern of stars in the night sky, a symbol on the border of a tent, or made of vines. As far as the setting I believe it was in the boys’ dreams. The book had a very surreal feel to it, and the book was filled with illusions. These illusions made a thing look like another, like a strongman made entirely of things from the sea, like seashells, crabs, etc. Here’s an example of the type of illusions I remember in the book

They do visit a circus at one point, because I seem to remember one page outside the circus tent, and possibly one more. But the book wasn’t entirely centered around the circus, it felt like they were just passing through. The circus is a google trap though, there are lots of kids book involving the circus and a tiger, and I haven’t found one yet that matches what I remember. The book is definitely not I Spy A Tiger, Heart of A Tiger, Riding the Tiger, A Lion in the Meadow, A Tiger Took Me to the Circus, It’s a Tiger, or Come the Terrible Tiger. Please help! I’ve spent hours searching on the internet, but I keep getting nothing.