Look What Tails Can Do

Category: Early Nonfiction 

Souza, D.M. Look What Tails Can Do. 48pp. (Look What Animals Can Do Series). Photos. Glossary. Further Reading. Websites. Index.  Lerner Publications. 2007. ISBN 0-7613-9458-3.

If something can be an umbrella, a basket, and a communication tool, it must be a tail! From a “busy tail” to a “poisonous tail,” the author describes in detail how each kind of tail is unique and used by different animals. Divided into four page chapters for each creature, there are several paragraphs of information complemented by two beautiful, close-up photos in every section. Designed for readers in second grade and up, these older primary students will delight in learning about skinks that lose their tails if they are caught, or tails that weigh so much they serve to anchor manatees to the bottom of the water. Ring-tailed lemurs that have “stink fights” and opossums that use their tails to haul objects will hold the attention of students as they uncover each new characteristic of tails. Each feature of a tail is described with a realistic story or situation to make the facts come alive. Presenting scientific information in a fun and interactive manner, this book is perfect to read aloud to younger children or to let older students explore a new world by themselves.  Focusing on one physical feature using a variety of animals, the author brings a new twist to primary age science books, complete with a glossary and index.