Little Skink’s Tail
By Janet Halfmann
Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein
Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007
ISBN# 9-780976-882381
Picture book
Little Skink starts the day looking for breakfast, but after a hungry crow attacks from above, Little Skink is fortunate to be alive. Unfortunately, she’s missing her lovely blue tail. Happy to be alive, Little Skink wishes she had another tail, and goes about the forest trying on tails of other animals. Finally, when none of them will do, she discovers that her tail has grown back.
As she lay basking and thinking, a cottontail rabbit hopped in front of her rock. “Hmmm, I wonder how I’d look with a tail like that?” Little Skink thought. She pictured her new look. “Very cute,” she thought to herself, “but too puffy-fluffy.”
Activity 1
Introduce invertebrate and vertebrate and define the words. Skinks are reptiles and classified as vertebrates.
Look up information about how skinks can lose their tails.
Discuss the major groups of vertebrates—amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals. Talk about what they have in common, which is a backbone.
Activity 2
Look up characteristics of reptiles.
List the characteristics of reptiles. Next, look up characteristics of amphibians (whose members are frequently confused with reptiles) and list them. Name as many reptiles and amphibians as the students can think of.
Use library books to add to the list.
Suggested books:
A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians by Robert C. Stebbins and Roger Tory Peterson
My First Pocket Guide Reptiles and Amphibians by S. Kirshner
Ask your librarian about other good books on reptiles, amphibians, and vertebrates.
National Science Standards: characteristics of organisms
Shirley, thanks so much for featuring my book, Little Skink’s Tail, and for posting such great learning links for the book.