Walter's Tail (Aladdin Picture Books) [Paperback]

Lisa Campbell Ernst (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Series: Aladdin Picture Books

When Mrs. Tully gets a new puppy, her friends are relieved to see the lonely old woman finally have some company. Then Walter begins to grow and his enormous tail destroys everything in its path. Though the townsfolk may now quake in fear, when Mrs. Tully lands in trouble it's overgrown Walter and his overactive tail to the rescue! Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Elderly Mrs. Tully gets a puppy, Walter, as a companion. The cute pup grows to be a large dog with a vigorously wagging tail that wreaks destruction throughout the shops in town. Feeling unwanted, the two isolate themselves on a hilltop, where the woman slips and catches her foot in a crevice. Predictably, Walter's wagging tail saves the day and he returns to town a hero. Illustrations rendered in pastels and ink are large, glowing with color, and full of exuberance. Ernst's people are drawn in the same style she used in Miss Penny and Mr. Grubbs (1991) and, as in Ginger Jumps (1990; both Bradbury), she demonstrates her adeptness at capturing dog personalities in a few expressive lines. Readers will delight in watching Walter grow and his tail wag--it even scatters the letters of the author's name on the cover. They will empathize with the oversized pet as he gets into trouble through innocent behavior intended only as friendliness and will share the concern shown for Mrs. Tully by the community. Another gratifying winner from Ernst.
- Diane Nunn, Byrd School, Glen Rock
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Everybody thinks old Mrs. Tully's new puppy is adorable, especially his ever-wagging tail--until he gets big and bumptious and the tail becomes a constant menace at home, where it sweeps things like vases and puzzles off tables, and downtown, where it removes the bride and groom from a wedding cake at the baker's. Despondent, Mrs. Tully walks the dog up the mountain, where she gets her foot caught between two rocks. It's not clear just how (nor is it likely), but Walter gets his tail sufficiently entangled in her red shawl to wave it as a flag of distress, thus summoning help and becoming a hero. A familiar outline, but Walter makes an engaging hero, especially in Ernst's vigorously limned illustrations; and, of course, the perils of an overenthusiastic body that gets unexpectedly large will be appreciated by many children. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689809638
• ISBN-13: 978-0689809637
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,779,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tail That Could Wag A Dog, July 26, 2006

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walter's Tail (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

The overall impression is soft shapes and luminous colors. Lisa Campbell Ernst draws her lines wiggly and her characters dumpling-cheeked, and she illuminates each page with colors that glow from beneath. The flyleaf explains that Ernst achieved this luminescent look by building layers of colors (with pastels), then adding lines with a quill pen. The result is a mixture of shine, shadow, and shimmy, giving a vibrant setting for this warm-hearted story about elderly Mrs. Tully and her growing dog, Walter.

Walter is a cute puppy, adored for his winning personality and for a tail that "never stopped wagging." Ernst conveys this rapid wagging convincingly; she outlines the tail with motion lines resembling a fan-- or a propeller. However, as Walter grows, and grows, his big windmill-of-a-tail knocks over Mrs. Tully's vase, her jigsaw puzzle, and her "dainties." (Ya gotta have underwear in a kids' book.)

Things are even worse ("a calamity") in town: "A barrel of lemon balls tumbled, turning the [candy shop] floor into a lemon-ball sea." "At the florist, flowers lost their petals, pots were smashed to smithereens." Walter also wags the model bride and groom right off of a wedding cake: "Tell tale signs of icing were discovered on Walter's tail, but the smiling couple was never found." (Yes, I looked, and was delighted to discover that the very observant audience can find the missing cake ornaments!). Ernst's humor and rhythmic words make this tale a great read-aloud book.

In a wonderful display of faux melodrama, Ms. Ernst builds suspense by showing how the town turns on the once welcome dog: The inhabitants "shield their children," turn their stores' signs to "closed," and "ran the other way." The rejected Mrs. Tully and Walter retreat from their puppies-only friends, climbing a nearby hill. However, when Mrs. Tully gets her foot stuck, Walter alerts the town through his tail power. Meanwhile, the townspeople have already found their inner dog, as they slowly recognize that Tully and Walter belong (the former word italicized for emphasis) in town, tail-launched bottle of "Pansy Perfume" or not.

While I would have liked a long distance view of Walter signaling the town from the hilltop, and a scene of the townspeople scrambling up the hill to rescue Mrs. Tully, these are minor points. Well-written, funny and exciting, there's also a nicely understated point about change and acceptance, and the illustrations are definitely worth wagging over.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Children 8 and under, June 27, 2009

By 

Keith Bartman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Walter's Tail (Hardcover)

Walter's Tail is a delightful book for elementary age children. My seven year old son thoroughly enjoyed the book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Doggy Story, March 11, 2003

By 

Dave P (USA all the way) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walter's Tail (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

In my opinion, I think that Walter's Tail is one of the best children's stories that I have ever read. It's about an old lady, Mrs. Tully whose friends suggest her to get a dog so she isn't lonely. So she gets a puppy and names it Walter, and Walter loves to wag his tail--he wags it constantly. Eventually he grows into a big dog and his tail-wagging begins to cause problems. The same friends that wanted her to get Walter in the first place now think he's too wild. This saddens Mrs. Tully and she leaves town, but I won't tell you if she and Walter return or not. You'll just have to read it for yourself and find out.