A Tiger Tail: (Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School)

PreS-Gr 2—In this colorful picture book, Anya wakes up for her first day of first grade "only to discover that overnight she had grown a tiger tail." She imagines all the possible disasters that could ensue once she gets to school, although her parents reassure her that the tail suits her and that it is perfectly normal to be nervous about a change in one's appearance. However, after her every attempt to miss school is thwarted, Anya meets bunny-eared Ben on her way in and finds that the tail isn't such a big deal. After all, it does go well with her wild hair, she reflects. The digital cartoon artwork is appropriately silly and exaggerated without being over-the-top. Although it is easy to imagine this work entertaining readers, it is harder to imagine it resonating with them, despite its near-universal theme. Any connection between the tail and real-world counterparts is tenuous at best, and the origin of the tail is never explained.