Tell Tail

Dex, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is different from the other dogs in his family, who all love to bark, dig and fight. He prefers to paint, play and chat, and when he is excited or happy, his tail wags incessantly. This display of delight embarrasses his family, so they pressure him to control his unruly tail, yet despite his best efforts, nothing seems to work.

One day, Dex makes a new friend in the park and both their tails wag wildly. However, Dex feels ashamed when Dad glares at him disapprovingly, so he sprints away as fast as he can, until he runs out of breath, energy and – finally – wag. When he returns home, his family are relieved that the tail-wagging has stopped, but after a while, Dad worries that Dex’s natural joy and exuberance have also disappeared. He feels uncomfortable about forcing his son to supress his emotions, so with a little help from a special friend, he tries to put things right.

Distinctive illustrations accompany this thought-provoking tale about the importance of self-expression, which could be used to explore the concepts of emotional intelligence, diversity and acceptance with young children.