What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Title: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Authors/Illustrators: Steve Jenkins and Robin Page 

Genre: Non-Fiction

Awards: Caldecott Honor

Age Group: Pre-K—1st

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? goes through a plethora of noses, ears, tails, eyes, feet, and mouths that you may come across out in the world of animals! This guessing game presents amazing illustrations of these body parts and then zooms out to reveal the animals they belong to as well as their unique and unexpected function. This book takes you from the digger-nose platypus to the seeing ears of the bat, from the detachable-tailed lizard to the blood-squirting eyes of the horned lizard, all the way to the hand-like feet of a monkey and the scoop-mouthed pelican. The back of the book gives more detailed explanations of each of the animals you will encounter!

I will absolutely use this book in my classroom if I teach lower elementary! This is such a fun and cute book to get students thinking about all the different adaptations that animals have. Each animal is unique and the way that their body parts work may be surprising! This will  definitely engage the students and get them excited about learning about animals. Plus, the illustrations are created using collages, adding so much texture and detail!

I would recommend this book for Pre-K through 1st. There is repetition throughout the book, as it always starts with a question and then goes through each animal example. It combines simple concepts of animal body parts with fun facts and realistic illustrations.

With What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, I would have students do small group rotations to practice and apply concepts from the book. For example...

• Matching Cards: Students could match tail cards to the animal card that it goes with.
• Label the Body Part: Students could label animal diagrams with their eyes, ears, tails, mouths, and feet.
• Prompt Cards: Students could explain the function of their ears, for example, and then explain the function of one of the animal's ears from the book. The card would have the sentence written out with blanks for the student to verbally fill in the body part, animal, and functions.