Tails Are Not for Pulling - (Best Behavior(r)) by Elizabeth Verdick

About the Book

Teach kids that teasing animals isn't nice, they can choose to be kind to animals, and it's important to ask before touching someone's pet.

Book Synopsis

Teach children how to interact with pets

Tails Are Not for Pulling shows young children how to treat pets with kindness and respect. Kids ages 4-7 learn that pets have feelings and boundaries, just like people do. This book encourages children to have empathy for how pets feel when we yank fur or feathers, chase, or tease them. They learn about animal behaviors like growling, hissing, and hiding, which are signals to back off. Readers also discover that they can help pets feel safe and loved by treating them with care.

With simple text and bright, inclusive illustrations, this book helps children make positive choices around their furry, feathery, and scaly friends. Part of the award-winning Best Behavior(R) series, this title helps children learn how to behave with animals; skills they can carry with them for life.

• Shows how to speak an animal's "language" and treat pets with care
• Teaches children not to touch strangers' pets without permission
• Pairs simple text with bright, inclusive images of children in everyday situations
• Expands on the themes in the board book with the same title

Tails Are Not for Pulling is a helpful resource for parents, caregivers, educators, and counselors who want to teach respectful treatment of animals. The book can be read before bringing home a new pet or to open conversations about animal interactions. A special section for adults offers practical strategies for guiding kids toward safe, empathetic relating to all kinds of pets. Great for children who read the board book edition and need an expanded reminder when behaviors resurface.

Review Quotes

"Teaching very young people that pets are living creatures and not toys is of utmost importance. Tails Are Not for Pulling is a fun book sure to be enjoyed by parents, their children--and their pets!"--Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo, Host, "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures"

ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Award, Winner

About the Author

Elizabeth Verdick has been writing books since 1997, the year her daughter was born. Her two children are the inspiration for nearly everything she writes. Before becoming an author, Elizabeth edited books for children and parents.

These days she writes books for babies, toddlers, teens, and every age in between. She especially loves creating new board books. The Happy Healthy Baby(R) series is designed to capture the interest of the littlest readers. Elizabeth's Toddler Tools(R) series helps young children and their parents cope with those tough times and transitions that happen every day (like naptime and bedtime). In the Best Behavior(R) series, she helps toddlers reach new milestones and improve their day-to-day behavior.

Elizabeth also enjoys getting the chance to look at the funny side of life in the Laugh and Learn(R) series, which helps kids ages 8-13 get a handle on the social-emotional skills they're developing throughout the elementary and middle school years. She's also coauthor of The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (And Their Parents), which offers kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day.

Elizabeth lives and writes near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Marieka Heinlen received her BFA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and also studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

She launched her career as an award-winning children's book illustrator with Hands Are Not for Hitting and has illustrated all of the books in the Best Behavior(R) and Toddler Tools(R) series. Marieka focuses her work on books and other materials for children, teens, parents, and teachers.

She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband, son, and daughter.