If I Had a Tail

The tail wags the narrative in this collection of seven poetic riddles about some of the most unusually appendaged members of the animal kingdom. Each of Warrick's (Louisa May Alcott) riddles appears opposite one of Neidigh's (Creatures at My Feet) detailed close-ups; the answer is revealed on the next spread, with a double-page portrait of the animal. The riddles all open with the phrase, ""If I had a tail, a tail like a...,"" then launch into some interesting analogies. Unfortunately, sometimes the analogies will be more familiar to youngsters than the animals they introduce. For example, ""If I had a tail, a tail like a day-old pancake"" begins Warrick's riddle about the platypus. Other analogies, such as the seahorse riddle, work very effectively: ""I'd tie up to coral as dinner drifts by."" Using a varied palette of gouache and colored pencil, as befits the diverse habitats, Neidigh shows an eye for detail with every scale, feather or hair on the painstakingly rendered tails. The final page invites readers to make up their own riddles and offers a group portrait of a boy with three common pets (dog, cat, turtle) for inspiration. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)