The Mouse with the Too-long Tail by Bani McSpedden illustrated by Greg McAlpine

Tuesday Treasure

"Mr and Mrs Mouse were the proud parents of fourteen happy children."
"But Mr and Mrs Mouse also had a fifteenth child who was not so happy.
He was known only as the Mouse with the Too-long Tail."

The Mouse with the Too-long Tail longs for a short tail like his siblings. His long, long tail gets in the way of every activity. Swimming is horrible, skipping is painful and riding a bicycle is torture. It is time for some action. Our little hero tries putting his tail out with the rubbish, he tries to give it away "he even attempted to throw the too-long tail off a cliff. But it was very attached too the Mouse and refused to go away."

Mouse tries to incorporate the tail into his every day life but this only works for a short time.Then one night he has a wonderful dream.  Our mouse has been looking at this issue as a problem! Let's look at this issue in a different way. Could he turn his tail to his advantage? He dreams of space exploration, show business and fancy rope tricks.

"His dreams had given him an idea.
He would try a few tricks with his tail.
He practiced in secret of course.
In his room, in front of the mirror."

When everything is ready he performs for his brother and sisters.

"Soon the Mouse with the Too-long tail was being called the Mouse with the fabulous Too-long Tail, the lucky Mouse with the Too-long tail."

As I write these words I am smiling. I have read this book aloud many many times. I still feel so much joy when the MWTTLT changes his view - his tail is not a handicap it is a asset.

The format of this book is perfect too.  It is a large landscape shape which allows the illustrator, Greg McAlphine, to show the full length of this cumbersome tail.

It seems Bani McSpedden didn't write any other books. I would love to know the background to writing this story.

I am working my way through titles on my Tuesday treasures list. This is a book I truly treasure. I mentioned this one previously when I was discussing my one hundred book project. The Mouse with the Too-long Tail was published in 1988. It might be in a school library. I was so lucky to find my copy at a charity book sale. I am very, very sad this book has been culled from my former school library. It truly is a treasure. There is no reason to think an old book has no value. This is an emotional and important story that should be reprinted. We talk about a new teaching focus called Growth Mindset. This book is an utterly perfect text which exemplifies these ideas.

I would pair this book with Trixie the witch's cat by Nick Butterworth.