Book Review - WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? by Steve Jenkins

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 2003. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618256288

2. PLOT SUMMARY
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS? not only poses the question, but answers it and many more. Another great read by Jenkins as he takes body parts of various animals and explains...in minimal, catchy wording...what each is for and how it differs from other animals.

The text is big and readable and gives facts that do not overload the young reader. Although written on a third-grade level. This book could easily be taken out by younger and older students alike.

Jenkins partners up with his wife, Robin Page, and not only dishes out tasty information, but uses an illustration method that is visually appealing and 3-D like in its quality. Also of note, background and additional information is included at the end of the book for those readers who want to know just a bit more...and you will.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I cannot believe how much I learned from this book. I've been around a long time and found out things I never would have thought I didn't know! Jenkins gets right to the heart of what kids are interested in: animals. His illustration style is very unique. His cut-and-paste technique looks good enough to touch. The reader can see the crinkles in the paper and the velvet-like quality in some of them. The cotton in the rabbit ear was a nice touch! Isn't that what it really looks like?

I enjoyed the way Jenkins made us guess. On one page he would illustrate noses or ears or eyes and then on the following page the entire animal was fleshed out and the "usage" was described. Who knew there was a four-eyed fish that could see above and below the water at the same time? Amazing.

As a child, I would certainly be captivated by the illustrations and the simple wording for each page. This book is a quick read...something kids like. There are lots of pictures...something kids like. There are "gory" facts...something kids like. This is a great way to get kids to read non-fiction especially.

As an adult, I did like all of the above things, but I was most intrigued by the further explanations in the back of each animal previously discussed. I found out things I had no idea about: skunks stand on their front paws and spray over their backs; hippopotamus' get sunburned; mosquitos inject chemicals into my skin to keep my blood from clotting and that's why the bite itches! Darn them!

Great book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
* Starred review in BOOKLIST: "Jenkins' handsome paper-cut collages are both lovely and anatomically informative, and their white background helps emphasize the particular feature, be it the bush baby's lustrous, liquid-brown eyes or the skunk's fuzzy tail. This is a striking, thoughtfully created book with intriguing facts made more memorable through dynamic art."

* Starred review in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Jenkins, this time in collaboration with his wife, has created yet another eye-opening book. Children will learn that lizards can completely break off their tail as a defense and that it will grow back. And, they'll find out that crickets' ears are on their knees."

5. CONNECTIONS
*We have a great series in my library called WHY ANIMALS LOOK DIFFERENT by Jonatha Brown. Each book looks at a different animal body part: feet and legs, heads and necks, tails, etc. It goes into a bit more detail, so this resource would pair well with WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TAIL LIKE THIS?

Brown, Jonatha. 2007. ANIMAL FEET AND LEGS (WHY ANIMALS LOOK DIFFERENT) Milwaukee, WI: Weekly Reader Early Learning Library. ISBN 0836868609

*Jenkins has another book quite similar to this called WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU? Again, he uses the same cut and paste illustration techniques, so we could compare and contrast those. He also uses the two-page approach: identifying the animal on one page and then describes the defense mechanism on the next.

Jenkins, Steve. 2001. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN SOMETHING WANTS TO EAT YOU? Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618152431.