Southwest Children's  Literature

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If I Had a Tail

Book Review:

If I Had a Tail is a collection of poetic riddles about seven unusual members of the animal kingdom: alligator, skunk, platypus, lizard, opossum, peacock, and seahorse. Each riddle opens with the phrase "If I had a tail, a tail like a . . . ," then launches into interesting analogies about the depicted creature's tail. With the answer revealed on the next page, this book invites young minds to guess the identities of the seven creatures.

Using a variety of gouache and colored pencils, Neidigh captures the diverse habitats of each individual creature. The final page invites the readers to make up their own riddles and offers a group portrait of a boy with three common pets (dog, cat, and turtle) for inspiration. This is a very creative book that allows readers to brainstorm and problem solve. If I Had a Tail is a fun and informational for all ages.

This book can be used to compare these animals' tails with those of Southwestern animals.

 

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