Review sponsored* by Mark Rouillard
The Children’s Book Review | May 11, 2017
Whack, Whack, Whack, Goes the Tail!
Written by Mark Rouillard
Illustrated by David Burk
Age Range: 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Fire Monkey Publishing (2017) ISBN: 978-0997673005
What to expect: A Dog, Family, Unconditional Love, Humor
Told from a dog’s perspective, Whack, Whack, Whack, Goes the Tail is an amusing picture book about one family and their excitable dog, Jack.
Spend the day with Jack and his family and discover all of the ways his tail wreaks havoc. In the morning, when he goes to wake up young Johnny, his tail clears the bedside table of the alarm clock and a cup of water. When Daddy is cheering during a football match aired on TV, a remote control, a beer, and a bowl of chips go flying. A tea party gets disturbed, and hot dogs and burgers get knocked from plates during a family barbeque. But, perhaps, the most amusing to dog owners will be the familiar scene of a postal worker ringing the doorbell and attempting to deliver packages. The illustrations alternate between the serene and the turbulent, but ultimately the message in this book is one of unconditional love between a family and their pet.
The text describes the illustrations from Jack the dog’s point of view, in a simple and straightforward manner. On one page—the serene page—readers learn about what Jack loves: “Yes Suzy, I will sit still for my portrait.” On the following page—the turbulent page—readers discover what makes Jack excited and/or impatient: “I’m tired of sitting still. Let’s play tag now!” The tale ebbs and flows much like Jack’s level of activity. Author Mark Rouillard’s most effective and engaging use of language is the repetitive refrain of “Whack, whack, whack, goes the tail.” Young readers will enjoy participating in this part of the storytelling, and the colorful cartoon illustrations by David Burk should be enough to prompt even non-readers to begin the chant.
Any family that has ever participated in training a puppy will be able to appreciate this humorous picture book.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. The author of ‘Whack, Whack, Whack, Goes the Tail!,’ Mark Rouillard, sponsored* this non-biased review. Learn more about getting a book review …
