A Possum's Tail (Paperback) /anglais

by Gabby Dawnay

A beautiful new paperback edition of this classic story. A Possum's Tail follows Samuel Drew and his toy dog as they make their way to visit the possums at London Zoo. Disappointed that the possums are asleep, Samuel turns around and heads back the way he came, unwittingly surprising onlookers who notice that the possums have decided to follow him.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Poetry, Adventure, London, Childrens, Humor

40 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2014

Reviews

[Ellie Morland]

I enjoyed this book because of where it's based, in London, I haven't read many stories based there. I feel the illustrations portray London accurately and this could be eye opening to lots of children especially children from more rural areas. This book has some lovely rhyming couplets and I really enjoyed the story of Samuel Drew and his dog picking up possums.

[Iqra Fiaz]

I like the use of rhyme in this story because it made it easier to read.
The illustrations are fun and exciting to follow as you read. In particular, the page where the text follows a path through the zoo.
I think it is clever to have the first page on the blurb as it leads the children into the story. When exploring the book, the blurb could be used, alongside the images on the front cover to infer where the story may lead. The blurb/ first page could then be used as the starting point of children's own adventure stories.
A lovely book.

[Hannah Higson]

This book is about Sam and his toy dog; travelling across London to the Zoo. They go and see all the animals including the possums which attach onto Sam’s toy dog. They travel all the way back across London and when they get home Sam realises the possums’ came with him. Sam makes a picnic for them all including cake and balloons. The possums cling onto the balloons and they fly away back to the zoo and their mother, just in time for dinner.

This is a useful book for children to get used to rhyme and rhythm; important features in poems. The children could learn lines of the poem to perform. This would help young children understand how it the author might like the text to sound in their head.
This is a picture book and the text successfully supports the pictures. This is an engaging text as the pictures are bright and colourful and there are lots to look at, using different levels. In the pictures we see lots of well known sights; such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Children will recognize these, adding to the engagement. This could be used as a cross-curricular link to geography and maths as children could have a go at plotting the different landmarks on maps with coordinates.
At parts of the story the text is viewed on different levels meaning that the children will have to tilt their head to read it, making it more enjoyable. Children could repeat this creating their own poem which is visualised in different ways rather than traditionally writing on straight lines.
Finally, this is a great book for KS1 PSHE as it shows friendship and family. Sam is a good friend to the possums but at the same time they want to get home to their mother.

[Lizzie]

A lovely introduction to rhyming couplets! The balance between the wording and the illustration is great, there is so much to look at on every page. So many people, creatures, games, cultures, instruments, flowers and places of interest - this book could be used for so many topics! The layout of some of the text physcially draws you on a journey, winding you through important characters, using images to highlight certain words making them more memorable and recognisable for EYFS or KS1 children.
This book would be brilliant to use in a memory game, or for counting. It also lends itself to exploration of environmental sounds: looking at sounds the animals might make, or experimenting with objects to try and create the sounds the city might make on a busy day. Multifaceted and enjoyable!

[Hannah Knight]

Fantastic illustrations, would create the perfect stimulus for discussions about London. I really enjoyed the poetic rhythm of this book, it made it an enjoyable, engaging read that I feel people of all ages would thoroughly enjoy.
KS2- Children write their own poems in similar style to London Zoo page. Could also use their own home town to tell a similar story.

[Sarah Coles]

A super introduction to ryhming couplets, full of rich and varied vocabulary, vibrant (modern) illustrations with lots to take in and discuss on every page. Perfect for story sharing with young children.

[Caryl]

We all thought this one was cute, and it started some great conversations about London.

[Mathew]

'This tale begins with Samuel Drew...' - and so this delightful rhyming couplet of a picturebook starts. Samuel is off to his favourite place in the city of London: the zoo. His companion is he wheeled-doggy toy which he pulls along on its leash. Samuel is off to see the possums but little does he know that on his return home, he will have picked up more than he bargained for.
Dawnay, a regular contributor to Okido children's magazine, presents a bright and perky rhythm as we journey to and from the zoo: the narrative flows alongside the rhythm of the physical, landscaped journey. But, for me, it is the Barrow's illustrations that make it as we follow Samuel journey from verso to the recto and then the over way round on his return.
Barrow's London crowds are a delight and when he picks up some welcome additions on his journey home, children will delight in contrasting the before and after street scenes. From flower-sellers to 4-piece bands and pearly kings, Barrow provides us with so much to see adding in that touch of humour that the texts hides but the pictures delivers. Plenty to explore and play with here.

[Zoe]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story because of its structure and illustrations. The book had a great rhythm throughout because of the use of rhyme, I feel this would be a great resource to teach rhyme. At points in the story I felt there could be opportunities for the teacher to enable the children to predict what may happen next and practise their rhyming skills. I found it interesting how the author has written some parts of the text in a standard print and format while at other points they have written in a wavy format to portray Samuel Drew’s adventure. This book offers opportunities for discussion around hazards/ safety, for example, road safety and trip hazards. The book also provides a chance for children to share and talk about London, this could create further learning opportunities and make the text relatable. Whilst reading this book it reminded me of the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ because of the concept of going on a journey and through the authors language used (repetition).
Overall a great read!

[Rebekah]

The use of rhyme in this books means that, whether you're reading it aloud or in your head, there is such a nice flow to the story. There is also so much going on in the illustrations, mini stories almost that could be explored in more depth. The change in how the writing appears on the page is really cool because it reflects the pattern that Samuel Drew may be walking in from one end of the page to the other. After reading this book, I want to know what other adventures Sam and his dog on wheels get up to!

[Charlotte Yardy]

A fun read aloud picture book! This book features rhyming couplets which make it quite a jolly read - The illustrations and the text go hand in hand however there is still a lot to explore in the illustrations that represent the hustle and bustle of the London Streets. I noticed elements of the picturebook code throughout - Particularly the side of the page the boy was on as we followed his Journey to the zoo and back again.

[Freddie D]

A sweet romp around London with well-paced rhyme and charming illustrations.

[Melanie Gaum]

Incredibly cute

[Tara]

Possums do not hang by their tale. This is how kids learn facts that are not facts.

[Kelly]

Light and whimsical.

[Tasha]

Little Samuel Drew walks along the streets of London pulling his toy dog behind him, headed in one particular direction. He passes all sorts of people, markets, even Buckingham Palace on his way to London Zoo. He sees many different animals in the zoo, but it’s the possum family in particular that he’s come to visit. But when he gets there, they are all hanging upside down by their tails, fast asleep. So Samuel heads back home again, not noticing that the possum family has woken up and have grabbed hold of the dog’s tail and are all five following along behind. Once home after creating chaos on the London streets, Samuel serves tea to the possums. But wait! How will they get back to the zoo? Another kind of tail to the rescue.

Dawnay has written this book in rhyming couplets that skip along merrily. The pacing is brisk and the humor is whimsical and deliciously drawn out as Samuel fails to see the possums until he reaches home. There is a delightful moment as Samuel returns homeward and passes the same people going the other way. The text repeats itself again in a lively way, echoing the journey that Samuel made to the zoo.

Barrow’s illustrations add to the joy of the journeys to and fro. He first shows the bustling London streets in a straight forward way, then on the return trip the possums cause quite an uproar, though Samuel doesn’t notice at all. Children will love looking at both sets of pictures and seeing the differences even though the words remain the same. The illustrations have a vintage feel with Samuel in a sailor suit and the dog on a string that hearkens to books like Madeleine.

A clever cheerful read that explores London with humor and whimsy. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Baby Bookworm]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, everyone! Our book today is A Possum’s Tail by Gabby Dawnay and Alex Barrow, a cute and silly story about a boy, his toy dog, and some adventurous possums!

Samuel Drew never goes anywhere with his toy dog. He treks all over London, he on feet and his dog on wheels. One day, he finds himself at the zoo, looking at a family of possums. He watches them a moment, then turns to leave – not realizing that the baby possums have tagged along! What follows is a funny adventure past confused onlookers on the busy streets of London.

What a fun story! This was one of those books with no message or lesson: just pure ridiculous fun. The illustrations are gorgeous, with fantastic details that young readers will find something new in each time. The story is fun to read and a good length for baby bookworms, and JJ liked it a lot. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Jehan Jones-Radgowski]

A perfect book for me grabs the attention of my two year old, my four year old, and doesn't make me want to hid it if they ask for me to read it again. A Possum's Tail is a cute and colorfully drawn adventure in London. I think this would be the perfect gift (speaking as an American mom) for a kid that is going to travel to London. The tale is sing songy without being predictable and the story is adorable. I LOVE the illustrations. I love the fashion of the Londoners. I love the diverse characters. My kids loved the pages where the words swig swag around the animals at the zoo (also a good plus for my four year old who I am trying to teach to read). I also love tea, (and so do my kids) and this book will make you want to grab your tea pot!

[Ann Cox]

A young boy and his dog-on-wheels wonder through the streets of London and visit the London zoo. A group of baby possums follows him home, has a tea party, and then returns to the zoo via helium balloons. I loved this book because of its old fashioned charm and its wonderful illustrations of the streets of London. I think this would be a good read-aloud to use during a preschool story time. It could be used for a program on animals, particularly possums.

[Hannah Lambert]

I felt that this was maybe a bit too long. But I really loved how poetic this is. As a teacher, I think this would be an excellent book to read together and then use the structure to make our own poems. This was based in London but could be adapted to children's local area. Really nice flow to this story and I loved the ending

[Edward Sullivan]

Sam and his toy dog stroll past London landmarks on the way to the zoo where they are unwittingly joined by a quintet of possums on the way back. Simple, quirky fun. Charming, nicely detailed illustrations.

[Paula]

Love these illustrations, and Abrams/Tate has gone all spendy on the paper and the boards. But the story's really long.

[Kimberly]

Very cute! Loved the illustration style. This made me very excited for our upcoming London trip!

[April]

Super adorable. Love the story and the illustrations. Love London, sigh.

[Jennifer]

Best text was during the zoo visit, the rest seemed contrived for rhyme scheme.

[Meagan]

This sweet book doesn't have much of a plot, but I enjoyed the style and thought the verse was well-constructed. It's a fun book for children who like to explore.

[Eva]

lovely!

[Alyx Campbell]

Cartoony pretty illustrations
Age: preschool
ECRR: phonological awareness