Churchill's Tale of Tails

by Anca Sandu

Overview

Churchill, a pig with a big personality, couldn't be prouder of his perfect tail. And then one day, it goes missing.

When Churchill the pig loses his precious tail, his friends help him hunt for a new one. But trying new tails is so much fun that soon Churchill has forgotten his friends completely. Can Churchill learn to put friendship first, and solve the mystery of his missing tail?

Featuring expressive illustrations and an appealingly self-absorbed protagonist, this whimsical story will keep readers laughing as they explore the significance of appearances and identity and their impact on friendships.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561457823
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anca Sandu was born in the flatlands of eastern Romania. Her grandma declared her a "drawer" of perfect circles at age two. Heeding the call to be the artist of the family, she studied children's illustration at Anglia Ruskin University, in Cambridge, England, and discovered that her passion for drawing helped her overcome her introversion. She now enjoys engaging most humans nearly as much as drawing them. She's the author-illustrator of Churchill's Tale of Tails, as well as other books about pigs, good monsters, sheep, and gnus and shrews. Anca lives in Beaverton, Oregon, along with her husband and their ever-expanding book collection.

Editorial Reviews

"[Sandu] has a strong a sense of visual craft, and her compositional, character, and comic skills are equal to those of many veterans. . . The self-possessed Churchill, rendered as a soft peach biomorph with tiny eyes, is a wonderful creation. . . "—Publishers Weekly

"Sandu's debut effortlessly blends whimsy, adventure, a message of forgiveness, and irresistibly cute animals. Delightful details pack each page and will have young readers giggling long after the tale itself (tails themselves?) have lost their novelty."—Booklist

"Debut author-illustrator Sandu has crafted a fine addition to the piggy picture-book canon. The silly cartoon illustrations of Churchill with his various tails are sure to make toddlers giggle. And the tale's themes of individuality, identity and forgiveness are nicely presented. Hope for much more from Sandu."—Kirkus Reviews

"A gentle pastel palette of digitally created scenes features the lightest touch of texture and shading of Churchill, his animal friends, and their surroundings. . . in this delightful dose of fantasy."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

01/20/2014
Tails make the pig, as the old saying goes—or should go, anyway, according to this story by debut author Sandu, first published in the U.K. After a bon vivant pig named Churchill loses his own curlicue, he tries on some spares from other animals, with unexpected results: a fish tail turns Churchill into a swan-diving swimmer, an elephant’s tail makes him feel like a porcine version of the Hulk, and a tiger’s tail convinces him that he is “the world’s strongest, bravest pig.” Churchill gets so caught up in his new identities that he has no time for his old friends. Sandu doesn’t quite know how to bring her story full circle—the ending doesn’t match the freshness of the pages that precede it—but she’s a talent to watch. She has a strong a sense of visual craft, and her compositional, character, and comic skills are equal to those of many veterans. The self-possessed Churchill, rendered as a soft peach biomorph with tiny eyes, is a wonderful creation; most readers should willingly forgive—if not downright envy—his substitute tail–induced hauteur. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

02/01/2014
PreS-Gr 1—What makes a pig feel like a pig? What does he value above all, and what makes him feel proud, even great? Churchill the pig has many talents and friends, but it is his tail that gives him joy and makes him feel unique. When it goes missing one day, he sits bereft until his pals volunteer their "spares." Zebra, Peacock, and Tiger all offer extra tails to replace the lost appendage. In a flurry of opportunities to try new tails, Churchill loses something even more precious; he has forgotten his friends. A gentle pastel palette of digitally created scenes features the lightest touch of texture and shading of Churchill, his animal friends, and their surroundings. A strong eye for detail and variation of cell size encourage readers to look closely at art on walls or open doors in Churchill's world. Where is Churchill's tail? Are his friendships lost, too? A new friend helps him find the solution for both problems in this delightful dose of fantasy. "Spare tails" help emphasize the generous gift of friendship and its careful nurture.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2013-12-11
What's a proud piggy to do when his tail goes missing? Churchill had one thing that he prized above all else: his tail. But one morning, he can't find it. He looks everywhere, but he can't find his squiggly tail. He just doesn't feel like himself without it, so he goes to Zebra, who gives him a zebra tail. He likes it well enough, but he decides he needs to try other tails. Peacock's makes Churchill feel beautiful. With the tail from a fish, he can suddenly swim like never before. He tries tails that make him feel snappy (alligator) and big (elephant) and fierce (tiger). But his fascination with tails causes him to ignore his friends. One night, Churchill sees the shadow of what he thinks is a fearsome creature, but it's just a small bird…with a pig's tail--his tail--on his head. With his tail returned, Churchill feels like himself again, and he throws a party to apologize to his neglected friends. Debut author-illustrator Sandu has crafted a fine addition to the piggy picture-book canon. The silly cartoon illustrations of Churchill with his various tails are sure to make toddlers giggle. And the tale's themes of individuality, identity and forgiveness are nicely presented. Hope for much more from Sandu. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews