TAIL TALE TOO

An ambitious child tries on different tails for different tasks in Kessides’ picture book.

Wally, the star of the author’s previous title, A Tail Tale (2025), returns with a new take on an old problem. The ambitious Wally is eager to use different animal tails to help him with a variety of tasks. When his mother asks him to do some chores, Wally speaks to the Tailor, who bestows upon him a monkey’s tail that enables him to do twice the work. Wally returns the appendage when he ends up extra exhausted and asks for a warm fox’s tail the following week when his father wants to go on a chilly camping trip. A family of foxes tries to lure him out of the tent, prompting Wally’s serpentine companion, Snoo, to remark, “I warned you!” (“Snoo was smart indeed, but Wally liked to try things for himself.”) Wally’s plan to wear a peacock tail to a wedding fares no better, but he is finally able to turn things around when he encounters an injured beaver in the woods. Each episode in this charming tale about the dangers of taking shortcuts is instructive and entertaining. As a whole, the story could flow more smoothly, and it’s disappointing that Snoo has little impact on any of the events. Gledhill portrays Wally as a white-skinned, brown haired boy in her simple, watercolor-like illustrations.

A sturdy sequel about shortcuts that’s just different enough from its predecessor.