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What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
In this beautiful Caldecott Honor picture book, Steven Jenkins and illustrator Robin Page explore the many amazing things animals can do with eyes, ears, mouth, noses, feet, and tails. Young readers will relish the mystery behind this interactive guessing book. A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Turn the page to find out which marvelous animal these attributes belong to. With six full spreads illustrated in cut-paper collage and an end glossary with even more fantastic facts, readers will learn about species of birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, mammals, and arthropods. Arresting details and visual surprises abound in this nonfiction picture book that will stir the imaginations of readers young and old.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
55 people are currently reading
2,795 people want to read
About the author
Steve Jenkins
167 books229 followersSteve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 699 reviews
July 27, 2019
This is a nice little fact book for beginners. Each page reveals a group of animal parts and asks a question. The next page shows each animal and what is special about that tail or ear or nose, etc.
I think the artwork was interesting and they chose some fun animals. Children that love animals will like that.
My niece thought the facts for some of these animals was rather obvious, but she appreciates books that have facts in them. She said it was ok. She gave this 3 stars. The nephew thought there needed to be a page with ‘what do you do with a butt like that?’ There was not a page like that. Still, he thought that was a good book. He still loves animal books. He gave this 4 stars.
I think the artwork was interesting and they chose some fun animals. Children that love animals will like that.
My niece thought the facts for some of these animals was rather obvious, but she appreciates books that have facts in them. She said it was ok. She gave this 3 stars. The nephew thought there needed to be a page with ‘what do you do with a butt like that?’ There was not a page like that. Still, he thought that was a good book. He still loves animal books. He gave this 4 stars.
April 20, 2020
So yes, I can certainly and well understand why and how Steve Jenkins won a 2004 Caldecott Honour designation for What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, as indeed, his collage-like artwork is generally, is usually truly spectacular (and indeed, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is no exception, with a wonderful and aesthetically delightful combination of realism and colourful imagination). And it has also been very much fun trying to figure out in What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? to which animals the depicted appendages belong (and not just tails, mind you, but also diverse noses, ears, eyes, feet and mouthes) and with Steve Jenkins' and Robin Page's textual information providing not only much interesting and enlightening details but also that the printed words are penned in an engaging and in my opinion sure to lastingly retain interest manner (both in the text proper of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? and equally in the supplemental details section).
But unfortunately and yes, as much as I have definitely enjoyed reading (and looking at) What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (and as much as I do truly think that this is a wonderful and also entertainingly fun and engaging for children book full of enlightening animal and animal appendages facts and information), that What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? does unfortunately not contain any bibliographical materials whatsoever (no sources being acknowledged and also no suggestions for further reading either), this does definitely to and for me present a rather major intellectual shortcoming and something that has certainly also rather lessened my general reading pleasure and appreciation of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (and personally, I equally do kind of have to wonder why with regard to including bibliographies, Steve Jenkins is generally so all over the place so to speak, providing relevant bibliographic materials for some but not for all of his science and zoology themed picture books).
But unfortunately and yes, as much as I have definitely enjoyed reading (and looking at) What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (and as much as I do truly think that this is a wonderful and also entertainingly fun and engaging for children book full of enlightening animal and animal appendages facts and information), that What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? does unfortunately not contain any bibliographical materials whatsoever (no sources being acknowledged and also no suggestions for further reading either), this does definitely to and for me present a rather major intellectual shortcoming and something that has certainly also rather lessened my general reading pleasure and appreciation of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (and personally, I equally do kind of have to wonder why with regard to including bibliographies, Steve Jenkins is generally so all over the place so to speak, providing relevant bibliographic materials for some but not for all of his science and zoology themed picture books).
March 9, 2010
This book was a 2004 Caldecott Honor book. It asks the readers to guess what animals match the parts that shown on the prior page and then gives interesting facts about what id unique about how that animal uses that part. For example, on one page it shows 5 different sets of eyes and asks "What do you do with eyes like these?" and on the next page it tells you about the horned lizard that squirts blood from its eyes. My students enjoyed reading this book together and guessing about the animals. This book is good for students in Kindergarten and up. It teaches a lot of unique facts about the animals and provide more information in the notes at the end. This book could be used to help students take notes or inspire them to research more about an animal in it. It would also be a good model for students to create more pages using the same writing pattern.
March 10, 2010
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page is a picture book intended for readers in preschool through grade two. I gave it four stars. This book is a book full of guessing and predicting as readers learn new and interesting facts about different animals’ noses, ears, tails, eyes, feet, and mouths. The pages follow a pattern of “What do you do with a…like this?” and “If you’re a…you…”, beautifully intertwining factual information and illustrations to teach the reader about all of the different body parts of animals. The format and layout of the text is non-uniform, sometimes vertical to showcase the monkey’s hanging tail or pointed to showcase the eagle’s fierce and powerful eyes. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and colorful, interestingly drawing the reader in and drawing their attention to specific animal details and body parts. Notes at the end of the text give even more in-depth factual information about a wide variety of animals and their unique body parts and functions. This book can teach readers that even if we are all animals, we all have different and unique features that set us apart and make us special and fascinating—a concept young children can easily connect to!
February 2, 2010
This delightful picture book for Kindergarten to grade 4 uses creative illustrations and riddles to capture the interest of a wide audience. The illustrations are created with vibrant cut-paper collage, showing portions of one part of five animals on one page with the inquiry question “What do you do with a_____ like this?” The answers are found as the page is turned, with a brief description of how animals use their body parts. This format offers suspense for the reader as they consider each inquiry. The artwork is beautiful, colorful and lends itself to creating animals and their body parts that look almost real. The facts are interwoven throughout the book but the author provides more detail about each animal in a summary at the end of the book.
This is a Caldecott Honor Book from 2003
This is a Caldecott Honor Book from 2003
February 4, 2017
Very informative, engaging and contains some of the best cut-paper collage I've ever seen!
Just look at that texture and dimension:
Just look at that texture and dimension:
August 12, 2019
یکی از خوبهای آشنایی کودکان با حیوانات این کتابه.
November 2, 2015
INFO TEXT!!!- In a guess and reveal style of writing, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page explore the many things that animals can do with their body parts. The pictures are very colorful and vibrant which help balance the mini facts that are given about each animal.Many of the pictures can give a clue as to why the animal needs a body part, while other pictures aren't very helpful, yet still nice to look at. Before each animal is introduced, the author ask the reader the same type of question "What do you with a _____ like this?" Surrounding the question are pictures of different animals but the same body part. Children would have an opportunity to guess the animals and see if they know how each animal may use each body part. The following page is were the facts are given and students can compare the usage of the body parts. Incorporating this book into a lesson would easy and fun for all grades (k-5). For the lower grades students can do activities where they choose a body part and think of animals that might use it in different ways or they could compare themselves to an animal and see if they use the same body part for the same reasons. For upper grades, students can look at the last 4 pages of the book to discover more information about the animals presented within the rest of the book, using this information the students could produce a Venn Diagram or use it for a writing assignment on animals. Although the book looks simple, it is full of information and beautiful illustrations. I hope you enjoy this book!!
December 1, 2016
1) Book summary, in your own words (3 pts)
- I love this book for small children. It provides students with a lot information on all the cool things that animals can do with all the parts of their body, not just their tales. This game is fun and allows readers to play along by having a little guessing/fill in the blank game going throughout the book. Not only is it fun for the students, but its fun for the teacher to read as well.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
-Pre-K-1st
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
-Science
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
-Students that love animals
5) Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
-Students could look through book and pick out their favorite animal. Have students draw the animal they chose and display in class.
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
-Carpet reading.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
-What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
-Audiobook available.
- I love this book for small children. It provides students with a lot information on all the cool things that animals can do with all the parts of their body, not just their tales. This game is fun and allows readers to play along by having a little guessing/fill in the blank game going throughout the book. Not only is it fun for the students, but its fun for the teacher to read as well.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile (1 pt)
-Pre-K-1st
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area) (1 pt)
-Science
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading (1 pt)
-Students that love animals
5) Small group use (literature circles) (1 pt)
-Students could look through book and pick out their favorite animal. Have students draw the animal they chose and display in class.
6) Whole class use (read aloud) (1 pt)
-Carpet reading.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area (1 pt)
-What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You?
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available (1 pt)
-Audiobook available.
November 15, 2009
If you like learning interesting facts about animals, you will enjoy this book! Find out how different animals use their eyes, ears, noses, and tails. Each page has animal parts that belong to all different kinds of animals. Your job is to try and guess what animal they belong to!
This is perfect for a read aloud to introduce the genre of non-fiction to young students in Kindergarten or even pre-school. The reading level is appropriate for first or second grade students, although the information on the animals in the back of the book is much more difficult to read.
You can find out more about the author and how he makes his illustrations out of paper on his website, www.stevejenkinsbooks.com.
This is perfect for a read aloud to introduce the genre of non-fiction to young students in Kindergarten or even pre-school. The reading level is appropriate for first or second grade students, although the information on the animals in the back of the book is much more difficult to read.
You can find out more about the author and how he makes his illustrations out of paper on his website, www.stevejenkinsbooks.com.
March 6, 2013
Steve Jenkins' Caldecott Honor Book, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? , is an approachable non-fiction text that allows young readers to read at varying depths. Each page incorporates texturally engaging mixed media visuals of each animal. The majority of the book includes simple text appropriate for young children K-2. Though the text is simple, it is clear that Jenkins understands what kids are interested in, with facts like "If you're a cricket, you hear with ears that are on your knees," and "If you are a horned lizard, you squirt blood out of your eyes." For those that are dying to learn more, the end of the book contains more detailed summaries of the animals pictured. This text could be read by older readers, or read aloud to younger students.
November 6, 2016
What do you do with a tail like this? By Steve Jenkins
• This is a silly book perfect for younger children. It prompts questions about animals, and allows children to play while they learn
• Teachers may use this for reading time, science, art, English
• K-2
• Individual students will really enjoy reading this book and learning about the different kinds of animals
• Small groups may use this book to form their own charts for animals
• Whole class may use this book before a trip to the zoo, and the discuss what animals use their tails, ears,eyes for recalling information from the book
• Caldecott honor
• Available in audio, print
• This is a silly book perfect for younger children. It prompts questions about animals, and allows children to play while they learn
• Teachers may use this for reading time, science, art, English
• K-2
• Individual students will really enjoy reading this book and learning about the different kinds of animals
• Small groups may use this book to form their own charts for animals
• Whole class may use this book before a trip to the zoo, and the discuss what animals use their tails, ears,eyes for recalling information from the book
• Caldecott honor
• Available in audio, print
August 29, 2016
This is book I would gift to all children! This a fun read that gives children a better understanding animals and how they too rely on their bodies, like humans. Noses, ears, feet are also highlighted as well as the titles suggests, tails!
May 15, 2019
Fantastic non-fiction book about body parts of animals and how they work differently.
October 1, 2017
This book was such an informative read, and I learned so many things by reading this book that I had never even thought of before! What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is an absolutely wonderful book and keeps the reader interested and engaged throughout the entire story. I loved the structure of this text because the author first asked a question, and then explains the answer in a very short, sweet, and “kid-friendly” manner. The pictures in this story are incredible and look as though they were almost collaged with textured paper to make the animals seem incredibly realistic. A particular picture that blew me away was the skunk illustration because the image looks as though it was created with stretched out cotton balls to give the illusion of fur. This book talked about a diverse amount of animals, and asked various questions beyond what can be done with a tail. The author addressed what eyes, ears, and noses help animals do, to list a few.
I would classify this book as an informational, nonfiction text. This story is an extremely delightful read and can be read with students as young as preschool, and carry through to third grade. This would be a great read-aloud for all of those grade levels, but can be read independently in third grade. This would be an excellent mentor text to teach predictions and various animal adaptations. During a whole group read-aloud, the students could predict the animal the author is illustrating, and then once the animal is discovered, the teacher and students can recap and discuss the importance of that particular fact. Some instructional activities to accompany this text would be an animal matching game, where the teacher would create cards with the various animal noses, and then the students have to flip the card over to match the nose to the animal. Once the students make a match, they would then have to state what that part, in this case how the nose, helps that animal. If they get the correct fact, then the students would keep the cards. This is a great activity for students in first through third grade to get some hands on exposure with the book. The teacher could also poll the students about their favorite animal/animals they learned about using a digital tool, such as Google Forms, and then the teacher could find corresponding videos for the students to watch in centers, and then that may provoke students to do further research and learn more about that particular animal.
When I think of informational texts, I am typically bored and not engaged in the text, but this book was totally different! The mystery of the animal and how it used its tail, eyes, ears, feet, etc. was extremely engaging to me as a reader. I was trying to predict how the animal used its part, and loved learning something new! I think it is so cool when a book teaches me something, because I then think of my students. I immediately began to wonder if I am learning something new, then my students would definitely learn something new! This book was a definitive wow book for me because there are so many different ways I can apply this book in my classroom, and I know my students would love its content! My students could make so many connections to the text, and it would create so many questions and great conversation with my students, which I love! This book is so information rich without being wordy, which is an automatic bonus for my students. It is not an overwhelming amount of information, but also provides the text feature in the back of the book in case the reader wants to learn more information about a particular animal. The illustrations are lifelike and add a pop of color to the story, which I really enjoyed! If you want to learn something new, and be totally blown away by the simple complexity of this book, then this is a must read for you! I am totally impressed by this book, and cannot wait to use it in my classroom!
I would classify this book as an informational, nonfiction text. This story is an extremely delightful read and can be read with students as young as preschool, and carry through to third grade. This would be a great read-aloud for all of those grade levels, but can be read independently in third grade. This would be an excellent mentor text to teach predictions and various animal adaptations. During a whole group read-aloud, the students could predict the animal the author is illustrating, and then once the animal is discovered, the teacher and students can recap and discuss the importance of that particular fact. Some instructional activities to accompany this text would be an animal matching game, where the teacher would create cards with the various animal noses, and then the students have to flip the card over to match the nose to the animal. Once the students make a match, they would then have to state what that part, in this case how the nose, helps that animal. If they get the correct fact, then the students would keep the cards. This is a great activity for students in first through third grade to get some hands on exposure with the book. The teacher could also poll the students about their favorite animal/animals they learned about using a digital tool, such as Google Forms, and then the teacher could find corresponding videos for the students to watch in centers, and then that may provoke students to do further research and learn more about that particular animal.
When I think of informational texts, I am typically bored and not engaged in the text, but this book was totally different! The mystery of the animal and how it used its tail, eyes, ears, feet, etc. was extremely engaging to me as a reader. I was trying to predict how the animal used its part, and loved learning something new! I think it is so cool when a book teaches me something, because I then think of my students. I immediately began to wonder if I am learning something new, then my students would definitely learn something new! This book was a definitive wow book for me because there are so many different ways I can apply this book in my classroom, and I know my students would love its content! My students could make so many connections to the text, and it would create so many questions and great conversation with my students, which I love! This book is so information rich without being wordy, which is an automatic bonus for my students. It is not an overwhelming amount of information, but also provides the text feature in the back of the book in case the reader wants to learn more information about a particular animal. The illustrations are lifelike and add a pop of color to the story, which I really enjoyed! If you want to learn something new, and be totally blown away by the simple complexity of this book, then this is a must read for you! I am totally impressed by this book, and cannot wait to use it in my classroom!
April 23, 2020
This book wowed me with all of the animal illustrations. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Included all types of animals that covered every page. The book formatted the text to move with the animals, and the illustration style plays with the white space to give animals a bit of a 3D appearance.
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a great introduction to informational texts for young readers. In a kindergarten classroom, you can use this book in a read aloud to introduce students to nonfiction texts, so students understand that nonfiction does not have to equate with a traditional textbook. The book gives relevant information about what different animals do with the same body parts, and includes more detailed information about the animals featured in the back of the book. You can discuss with students how informational texts often include other information in a glossary structure in the back of the book.
In a first grade classroom, you can use the book in a read aloud to introduce a science unit on animals. After reading, students can choose an animal in the book, then write their own mini informational texts that further describe the animal’s features. The project can use the book’s question and repetitive sentence structures (“What do you do with…?” and “If you’re a...you use...to...”) as a starting off point for their book, poster, diagram, etc.
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a great introduction to informational texts for young readers. In a kindergarten classroom, you can use this book in a read aloud to introduce students to nonfiction texts, so students understand that nonfiction does not have to equate with a traditional textbook. The book gives relevant information about what different animals do with the same body parts, and includes more detailed information about the animals featured in the back of the book. You can discuss with students how informational texts often include other information in a glossary structure in the back of the book.
In a first grade classroom, you can use the book in a read aloud to introduce a science unit on animals. After reading, students can choose an animal in the book, then write their own mini informational texts that further describe the animal’s features. The project can use the book’s question and repetitive sentence structures (“What do you do with…?” and “If you’re a...you use...to...”) as a starting off point for their book, poster, diagram, etc.
February 25, 2019
‘What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?’ is a WOW book with tons of opportunities for extension activities in the classroom! Each part of the book addresses a different animal body part and shows how it differs between different species. The following page explains how each of the animals is able to use that body part. Because this book doesn’t go into depth on each animals adaptation, I would probably use this book in third grade just as an introduction to a lesson. This book provides a great opportunity to start a science lesson about adaptations. By using this book, you could really get students thinking about how adaptations appear differently on different animals. The book doesn’t go in depth about how each adaptation is used, just a brief description. That is why I think that this is such a valuable resource for a lesson teaching students to research animal adaptations. For example, if a student were to read the part about how a platypus uses its nose, this book alone does not give a ton of information. It gives just enough information to get the student interested in the biology behind it, which can serve as motivation to spend more time and resources researching the platypus. Although this is not a very difficult read, it also provides great opportunity for foreshadowing! Students can look at the pictures of the animals body parts and start to foreshadow what it will be used for. This can be presented as a challenge or game to students, which will keep them engaged during a read-aloud of the book. One way that this book could be incorporated creatively and intellectually would be in an activity where students have to create their own animal or even alien. The student would have to come up with some background information about their creation where they could include what climate the animal lives in, what they eat, etc. They would have to create their body parts as if they had adapted to their environment. For example, if a student wanted to create an animal that lives in the open desert, it could have large ears so it could hear other animals from miles away. This was a WOW book for me because it is an informational text that is presented in a way that is exciting and engaging for students. The illustrations are eye-catching and pretty scientifically accurate. It is also fun for students to guess how animals are able to utilize specific body parts, which can remind them that just because a book is informational, doesn’t mean it has to be boring!
November 4, 2015
Fantastic info text! Steve Jenkins did a marvelous job at describing what different animals can do with different parts of their bodies in a very fun and engaging text. I really enjoyed the fact that Jenkins asks children "What do you do with....?" for each body part and he includes pictures of the animals so kids can make predictions and make connections. These initial questions help tap into their background knowledge and it is a great way to get children excited about sharing relevant information that might answer the question.
Beginning readers and ELLS can use the illustrations to help them decode certain words/phrases; there is an image of a platypus digging in the mud (which answers the question "what would you do with a nose like this?"), even if the kids are unsure of what the text says they can always try to "read the pictures" to make sense of it, and to participate in discussions. At the end of the book Jenkins includes a section that includes a small bio with details about each animal. I would recommend this book for lower elementary students, the book provides lots of information but it does so in a fun non-overwhelming way so they kids can actually enjoy it without having to worry about understanding big words or abstract concepts. This book could also be used for upper elementary students (at least the last few pages), it could be a great way to get info on multiple animals.
The nature of this book screams read aloud! the format in which the book was written gives room for discussion and making predictions. It would also be used for a shared reading since some parts of the text (like the questions) follow a repetitive pattern that the kids will soon come to learn. Overall great book, specially if your child is very interested in biology or the natural environment.
I hope you enjoy it!
Beginning readers and ELLS can use the illustrations to help them decode certain words/phrases; there is an image of a platypus digging in the mud (which answers the question "what would you do with a nose like this?"), even if the kids are unsure of what the text says they can always try to "read the pictures" to make sense of it, and to participate in discussions. At the end of the book Jenkins includes a section that includes a small bio with details about each animal. I would recommend this book for lower elementary students, the book provides lots of information but it does so in a fun non-overwhelming way so they kids can actually enjoy it without having to worry about understanding big words or abstract concepts. This book could also be used for upper elementary students (at least the last few pages), it could be a great way to get info on multiple animals.
The nature of this book screams read aloud! the format in which the book was written gives room for discussion and making predictions. It would also be used for a shared reading since some parts of the text (like the questions) follow a repetitive pattern that the kids will soon come to learn. Overall great book, specially if your child is very interested in biology or the natural environment.
I hope you enjoy it!
January 27, 2019
The first Caldecott award winning book I chose to ready was “What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?” This book is written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. The book starts by illustrating ears, tails, eyes, feet, etc. Each new part of the body had a page that that specific new body part was focused on. The page that followed would be different animals who had that body part, and what they used that body part for. Each story with an animal had text to go along with what was being illustrated. As the title is “what do you do with a tail like this?”, there was an image of a skunk who was lifting his tail to go along with the illustration of the tail.
They used movement to clearly show what animals had that body part, and specifically what these animals used that body part for. Each depiction was both beautiful and clear to understand. Each page had a unique picture that even I would not think of when thinking what those body parts were used for, specifically with the illustrations of the lizard breaking his tail to avoid a predator and the hippopotamus closing his eyes underwater. I know for a fact that I would have loved this book growing up, and as a college elementary education student, I loved reading it with how sharpe the pictures were and the clear showing of each animal and their body part. With all that being said, I definitely agree with the decision to give this book the Caldecott Award. This book has a beautiful mix of amazing illustrations as well as clear text to follow those illustrations. I was impressed with the book to say the least, and would definitely use it in a classroom if applicable.
They used movement to clearly show what animals had that body part, and specifically what these animals used that body part for. Each depiction was both beautiful and clear to understand. Each page had a unique picture that even I would not think of when thinking what those body parts were used for, specifically with the illustrations of the lizard breaking his tail to avoid a predator and the hippopotamus closing his eyes underwater. I know for a fact that I would have loved this book growing up, and as a college elementary education student, I loved reading it with how sharpe the pictures were and the clear showing of each animal and their body part. With all that being said, I definitely agree with the decision to give this book the Caldecott Award. This book has a beautiful mix of amazing illustrations as well as clear text to follow those illustrations. I was impressed with the book to say the least, and would definitely use it in a classroom if applicable.
January 26, 2019
The first Caldecott book I chose to ready was “What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?” by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. It started with ears, then tails, then eyes, then feet and so on. Each new body part started with a page that was specifically zoomed in on the part that was being talked about. On the next following page, it included those animals, zoomed out, and what each animal uses that body part for. The drawings and paintings of the animals were immaculate. The little story of that animal had corresponding text with the topic. For example, when it got to “what do you do with a tail like this?”, the image of the skunk would spray the words, while lifting his tail.
The movement of the pictures really emphasized exactly what the animals were doing how how specific parts of their bodies were being used. We were able to see the platypus sniffing in the mud, the hippopotamus closing his eyes underwater, the giraffe brushing off flies with his tail, and the lizard literally breaking his tail off to get away. Reading this for the first time as a college student, was so much fun and I think that any student would enjoy reading this book and looking at all of the pictures. Therefore, I think that this children’s picture book definitely deserved the Caldecott Award. While being educational and lighthearted, the pictures were the key aspect to the book. The pictures, themselves, told the story. You could see all of the animals living their daily life and using their everyday sense with the body parts they need.
The movement of the pictures really emphasized exactly what the animals were doing how how specific parts of their bodies were being used. We were able to see the platypus sniffing in the mud, the hippopotamus closing his eyes underwater, the giraffe brushing off flies with his tail, and the lizard literally breaking his tail off to get away. Reading this for the first time as a college student, was so much fun and I think that any student would enjoy reading this book and looking at all of the pictures. Therefore, I think that this children’s picture book definitely deserved the Caldecott Award. While being educational and lighthearted, the pictures were the key aspect to the book. The pictures, themselves, told the story. You could see all of the animals living their daily life and using their everyday sense with the body parts they need.
November 14, 2018
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a beautifully illustrated informational text and was awarded the Randolph Caldecott Medal. Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, each page is filled with beautiful cut-paper collage images.
This fun engaging non-fiction text would be great for Pre-k through 4th-grade students. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Is an engaging way to introduce informational texts to students in Kindergarten through 2nd-grade. This interactive text gives all students many opportunities to make predictions and participate in group discussions. This text can be connected to a science curriculum as the text is filled with animal facts. Both young and old will enjoy the fascinating information packed in this book. I was left seeking more knowledge on the fact that field crickets have ears on their two front legs. Before I pulled out my cell phone like many are tempted to do, I flipped to the end of the book, where Jenkin’s provided me with a wealth of knowledge on field crickets. This “glossary” provides more details of the animals seen in the book, providing exposure to text features. Jenkin's book would make a wonderful mentor text to help students develop an interest in different animals to write about. Or simply a fun non-fiction read aloud!
This fun engaging non-fiction text would be great for Pre-k through 4th-grade students. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Is an engaging way to introduce informational texts to students in Kindergarten through 2nd-grade. This interactive text gives all students many opportunities to make predictions and participate in group discussions. This text can be connected to a science curriculum as the text is filled with animal facts. Both young and old will enjoy the fascinating information packed in this book. I was left seeking more knowledge on the fact that field crickets have ears on their two front legs. Before I pulled out my cell phone like many are tempted to do, I flipped to the end of the book, where Jenkin’s provided me with a wealth of knowledge on field crickets. This “glossary” provides more details of the animals seen in the book, providing exposure to text features. Jenkin's book would make a wonderful mentor text to help students develop an interest in different animals to write about. Or simply a fun non-fiction read aloud!
March 13, 2018
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? is a wonderful informational book by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. This book was a Caldecott Honor Book and readers will see why upon the first page. The book follows a question and answer structure with vibrant pictures and unique page layouts. Readers' eyes jump across the pages matching the text to the animal. Readers learn all about how different animals use their feet, tails, noses, mouths, ears, and eyes. The text uses repeated phrases that students can start to read along with you. This book will draw young readers in whether it is listening to a teacher or parent read aloud or the child reading it alone. The illustrations are a perfect pair to the information the author gives on that specific animal.
This is a wonderful book for kindergarten through third grade. Teachers can use this book for interactive read alouds in both reading and writing instruction. The number of craft elements the Steve Jenkins and Robin Page incorporate lend themselves to many mini-lessons. Parents can use this book to spark their child's interest in informational texts along with learning how different animals use the same part of their body. This is a wonderful book and one children will love for many years.
This is a wonderful book for kindergarten through third grade. Teachers can use this book for interactive read alouds in both reading and writing instruction. The number of craft elements the Steve Jenkins and Robin Page incorporate lend themselves to many mini-lessons. Parents can use this book to spark their child's interest in informational texts along with learning how different animals use the same part of their body. This is a wonderful book and one children will love for many years.
November 8, 2018
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins takes children on a journey to explore how different animals use different parts of their body to survive and thrive in their environments. The book covers all different body parts, from noses and ears, and tails and eyes, to mouths and feet. The book also incorporates a wide variety of different types of animals (reptiles, birds, mammals, etc.) A Caldecott Honor winner, the mixed media illustrations create beautiful and textural depictions of the animals. In addition, the lay out of the book lends it perfectly to activities relating to making predictions (i.e., what animal do you think that is? how do you think that animal uses that body part? etc.) At the end of the book, there is even a short index listing all the different animals that are mentioned in the book and giving a brief summary about them. I would suggest that this book be incorporated into a science lesson about animals and different adaptations they may have to survive in their habitat -- probably ideal for 1st or 2nd grade. It would also be an excellent text to have in your class library (perhaps even for Kindergarten - 3rd grade) for students who are interested in life science and animals. Overall, an excellent "science-y" book for any teacher to own.
October 29, 2017
This is a fantastic book. The bright colors and detailed illustrations make this book very intriguing. This book is an interactive book for readers. As one reads the book, it will ask questions like “what do you do with a tail like this” or “what do you do with eyes like these”. It also shows images of several different body parts of animals like eyes and tails. Then, you turn the page and it gives readers an answer. It shows the full animal and gives a short insight on what animals use certain body parts for.
I would absolutely use this book in my future classroom. I love that it is interactive and informational. It would be great to teach a lesson on specific animals and how they live and grow. Students are very curious and this book strongly encourages more curiosity and guessing. As students view the different body parts, they can make assumptions on what they think that part is used for and what animal it belongs to.
I would absolutely use this book in my future classroom. I love that it is interactive and informational. It would be great to teach a lesson on specific animals and how they live and grow. Students are very curious and this book strongly encourages more curiosity and guessing. As students view the different body parts, they can make assumptions on what they think that part is used for and what animal it belongs to.
October 2, 2019
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? Steve Jenkins takes his readers on an interactive journey discussing different animal body parts and their purposes. This is not your traditional informational text, but it is a great example nonetheless! It is a WOW book because of the unique illustrations and the variety of animals used. Jenkins does a great job of creating a one of a kind informational text!
Teachers will love to use this book for interactive read alouds. There is ample opportunity to pause and ask your students the answers to the questions Jenkins asks. This book would be a great tool to gather background knowledge students have about different animals. For the younger grades, it can also be used to practice predicting answers to questions posed by texts. Some teachers may extend this book by analyzing the sentence structure, delving deeper into writing and formatting questions.
This book was viewed electronically on a kindle device.
Teachers will love to use this book for interactive read alouds. There is ample opportunity to pause and ask your students the answers to the questions Jenkins asks. This book would be a great tool to gather background knowledge students have about different animals. For the younger grades, it can also be used to practice predicting answers to questions posed by texts. Some teachers may extend this book by analyzing the sentence structure, delving deeper into writing and formatting questions.
This book was viewed electronically on a kindle device.
April 9, 2017
This is a wonderful animal science book for young children to introduce them to some of the amazing things animals can do with tails, noses, ears, mouths, and feet. The cut paper collage illustrations are just as amazing, created to make animals look smoth, furry, bumpy, or spiky, depending on the animal. Youngsters (and possibly adults as well) will be intrigued to learn that crickets hear with their knees, bats see with their ears, and horned lizards squirt blood from their eyes, among other interesting facts. Additional information about each animal is at the end of the book. This book well-deserved its Caldecott Honor award.
October 5, 2017
Steve Jenkins and Robin Page know exactly how to tap into kids’ curiosity about the natural world. Children love learning about the ways animals are similar to and different from humans, and this book introduces that information in an accessible and awesomely illustrated way. I love how realistic the images are, and how they look almost three-dimensional, giving a great sense of each animal’s texture. The informational section at the back of the book is also very thorough so that adults can accurately answer small kids’ inevitable questions and bigger kids can find out more information on their own.
March 24, 2016
A nice little repeating book, where each spread shows a bunch of (tails, eyes, noses, etc) from different animals and on the next page explains what each animal uses their particular model for. Short words and an easy bedtime read, with detailed paragraphs on each animal in the extra material at the back of the book. Probably best for ages 3-5, with some potential for early readers ages 6 or so. My seven year old found it a bit too short, I think. but the illustrations are clear and the choice of animals not completely formulaic. Add to the fun by asking the child which animals he or she can identify before turning the page.
March 31, 2017
This is another quality informative book by Steve Jenkins. I recommend this book for students k-2 leaning about animals. In this book, Jenkins describes different ways that different animals use their body. For example, the different ways in which animals use their eyes, their feet, and tails. This book has great illustrations placed on the pages in creative ways that would keep kids intrigued. You could even do a compare/contrast lesson with this book, or have students take guesses on what THEY think these animals use their bodies for before you give it away. This is a great book that I feel would be picked up by students after it has been read by the teacher!
May 3, 2017
2004 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: What do you do with ears like this page. I also really love the way each body part on the "what do you do" pages is shown at roughly the same size, so the rabbit ear is about the same size as the cricket's. This kind of makes it more difficult to guess which animal may have that body part!
A fun introduction to different ways animals have learned to adapt and survive in their environments. I also like the "for more info" paragraphs at the end of the book. This would be really fun to discuss in a classroom with younger elementary kids; and maybe have them imagine themselves with their favorite animal parts!
A fun introduction to different ways animals have learned to adapt and survive in their environments. I also like the "for more info" paragraphs at the end of the book. This would be really fun to discuss in a classroom with younger elementary kids; and maybe have them imagine themselves with their favorite animal parts!
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