A Long Tail

About this book

A child is getting ready for school when they spot something unusual on the floor by the door: the tiniest tip of what turns out to be a very long tail! But whose is this tail? Whose can it be? Can you follow the trail to find out and see? The tail curls and zig zags around town, through school and then eventually back home to a very unusual (and very cute) animal friend.

Readers are invited to trace their finger along the tactile tail as it snakes its way across the pages in this book. This interactivity will keep young children engaged and they can challenge themselves to follow the trail continuously thanks to clever cut outs and creative page design. Using the trail element will also support fine motor skills as they loop and zig zag, will help with pattern recognition as they feel the different textures, and will develop vocabulary including prepositions and descriptive words as thy swoop over and duck under obstacles.

The book is written in pleasing rhyme and features friendly illustrations of key places that children might recognise, including a park, a zebra crossing, a classroom, a playground and a home. After all the fun, the child character enjoys a nice bedtime routine with the owner of the tail, who turns out to be their own cuddly toy. This book also serves as a comforting metaphor for children that their toys and special people are still connected to them when they are out having new adventures.