Shibu’s Tail

K-Gr 3–A delightful tale about a black cat who happens to have a lot of feelings. More than just a cute cat book, it’s also a great choice for the SEL shelves. Shibu explores coping with his many feelings, even hiding them from friends he suspects might be judging him. That proves to be very difficult for Shibu, and especially for Shibu’s tail. The illustrations in this book are simple, yet very satisfying. The black-and-white palette lays the groundwork, setting up the tail, comprised of thousands of tiny pen strokes, as the star of the book. Shibu’s emotions are conveyed through his tail’s movements, and the illustrator expertly renders these emotional interpretations. Humor and lightness are present in each flick, twitch, and swoosh of the tail, charming readers while also providing an opportunity to discuss feelings and how humans cope with difficult things.