A new review for Who Has This Tail?

A new review of Who Has This Tail? From the "Reading Chair" review section of Young Children: The Journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. - July 2013

In this guessing game, the author presents readers with a picture of an animal tail and asks, "Who has this tail?" Children will have fun examining all the hind-side extremities and quessing whose it could be. Turning the page reveals the answer, with a picture of the full animal and a description of how the tail is used. In these small science lessons, animals use their tails for balance, warning enemies, pushing and steering through water, flicking flies, stinging prey, and attracting a mate.

Hulbert has thoughtfully curated the array of animals. Appearances range from the plain-looking horse and gerbil tails, to the geometrically striking scorpion and shark tails, to the flamboyant peacock tail. Brooks captures little-known details, such as the fleshy underside of the spider monkey's tail that helps it grasp tree branches. Brooks's use of negative space (blank white space in the background) on pages that showcase tails adds drama to the guessing game. This excellent companion to Who Has These Feet? is a good reminder for young scientists to ask about the purpose and use of what they find in nature.