What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a nonfiction children's book written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. This book received the Caldecott honor book in 2004 and is geared towards children in early through middle elementary school. I really enjoyed reading this book because at the beginning it says that animals use their eyes, noses, tails, mouths, ears, and feet in very different ways and encourages the reader to try and guess which animal each body part belongs to. Throughout the book, it shows a single body part from about 5 different animals and asks what do you do with a body part like this? Once you flip the page, it then states the animal and how they use that certain part. My favorite part is at the end of the book because it gives a summary of each animal mentioned and how they use the body part listed. It's perfect because it allows students to put it all together at the end and see some of the unique things animals can do!

As a teacher, I would definitely use this book in my classroom for an animal unit so students can learn about animals in a fun way. I think it's perfect for 1st-2nd graders because they can expand their knowledge of animals and learn unique things animals can do! It's also great for younger kids because it is filled with information, but throughout the book, the amount of words isn't overwhelming and the pictures are definitely appealing to younger children. I also really enjoyed how the author asks the reader what you do with a certain body part before listing the animal and what it actually does. This book would be great as a read aloud because you could get the children's input and ideas about the different animals.