Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
This book, by American Tess Thomas and artwork by Kamwei Fong, is a square children’s picture book about our feelings. It talks about when we feel happy and when we are sad, angry or scared and what happens when we keep these feelings bottled up inside ourselves. This makes us feel unhappy.
This lesson is presented through the main character, Shibu, a cat with a very long tail. It is his tail which helps him express his feelings. There is a double page spread which shows how this happens as Shibu, just like us, has lots of different feelings.
But one day Shibu noticed that his long tail expressing his various feelings was drawing a lot of attention. Because he didn’t like this, he thought that if he hid his feelings he could blend in better. However, the more he tried to hide his emotions the more his frustration grew until all the bottled-up feelings crashed out in a giant wave.
He learned that hiding his feelings didn’t work very well. He realised that all feelings, good and bad, were meant to be shared. He even helped his friends to learn to do the same.
This important lesson is presented in black and white – the background, the text and the illustrations. The only colour in the book is red, and this is given to the title of the book, the publisher’s name and the dedication. Yet this does not diminish the story.
Shibu’s Tail carries an important message to all ages. The back cover sums up this book very well. ‘This is a tale about a tail with some very big feelings’.
Shibu’s Tail
(2025)
Written by Tess Thomas
Art by Kamwei Fong
Allen & Unwin
ISBN:978-1761182525
$24.99; 44pp