About the Holiday

Admit it—you have a ton of questions. These days, don’t we all! Well, now’s the time to get them out there! Go on—even if you think it’s silly or it seems as if everyone else understands (believe me, they don’t!)—ask away! It’s only through questions that we learn the truth or make new discoveries. Little ones seem to come preloaded with questions, and each one is an opportunity for you to introduce them to our world!

Do You See My Tail?

By Anita Bijsterbosch

A bushy tailed animal hails readers from its place in the treetop—“Do you see my tail? Guess who I am!” A red-bellied bird, butterfly, cricket, spider, and ladybug are all standing by to find out too. Opening the flap, little ones are cheerfully greeted by a squirrel who is feeding its babies. “My babies live in a nest in a hollow tree. They like acorns,” the squirrel says. The young squirrels happily reach for the tasty nuts while their mom or dad says, “Hello, squirrel. Hello, sweet baby squirrels.’

On the next page, a small, brown tail trimmed in black and white peeks out from behind a bush. “Do you see my tail?” the owner asks. “I have a cute little tail. Guess who I am!” Two sleepy owls, a pair of mice and adorable insects can’t wait to find out either. The open flap reveals a mother deer and her fawn who is “lying in a little nest in the high grass.” As the two give kisses, Mom says, “Hello, deer. Hello, sweet baby deer.”

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Next, a long black feathered tail pokes out from behind a tree. This tail belongs to a bird, and it’s fluffy babies are getting a nutritious worm snack. “How loudly they chirp,” the bird tells readers. Along with their meal, the babies get a little love: “Hello bird. Hello, Hello, sweet baby birds.” Turning the page, young readers see a flat brown tail dipping into the water. Inside the flap a beaver cuddles three babies who “are playing in a nest made of tree trunks and branches.”

“Do you see my tail?” the next animal asks. Who could that ball of fluff belong to? Lift the flap to discover an adult rabbit and four scampering babies “hopping around in a hole under the ground.” You can tell the rabbits hello! “Hello, rabbit. Hello, sweet baby rabbits.” A flip of the page reveals another part of the woods where a fiery red tail sways to and fro in the hedges, a woodpecker makes a hole in a nearby tree trunk, and tiny insects enjoy the day. Baby foxes “love to frolic” in their underground nest.

Can readers spot the next animal’s “teeny tiny tail” and guess who it belongs to? Under the flap they will find a hedgehog and three babies “sleeping and eating in a nest made of branches and leaves.” The hedgehogs love the apples that fall from the nearby tree. Say hello to the little hedgehogs! “Hello, sweet baby hedgehogs.”

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Anita Bijsterbosch’s charming lift-the-flap book introduces toddlers and young children to a variety of animals and their babies through one easily identifiable feature. Each invitation to guess is followed up by a positive, upbeat answer that rewards a little one’s efforts. Two more complete sentences reveal information about the animal’s home as well as a behavioral trait that mirrors the kind of fun or snuggling that young children like to do themselves. The repeated greeting to each animal and their “sweet” babies not only emphasizes the love that families have for each other, but also provides a gentle lesson in the singular and plural forms of each animal’s name. The rich choices, such as frolic, bushy, and hollow used throughout the story promote early language development.

Bijsterbosch’s colorful pages will enchant young readers as cute birds, insects, mice, and other small creatures join in the fun. The fold-out flap is large enough for a detailed depiction of each animal and their home, and the bright eyes and friendly smiles of the adult and baby animals invite children in to learn and play. Little ones will love to name the other creatures and talk about their different habitats. The open art style offers opportunities to count and to discuss concepts such as in, out, inside, outside, on, near, and far, which are the building blocks of early math literacy. Readers will also love looking for the little ladybug on each spread.

Do You See My Tail? would be a wonderful early addition to any toddler’s or young child’s home bookshelf.

Ages 1 and up

Clavis, 2017 | ISBN 978-1605373201