An Australian Shepherd named Henry laments his lack of a tail in this sweet picture-book from author/illustrator team Kate and Jules Feiffer, comparing himself to his many canine friends, and wishing he had something to wag himself. His somewhat unconventional attempts to gain a tail prove less-than-successful, however, and eventually he concludes that he is just fine the way he is...

I enjoyed the punning and wordplay in Henry, the Dog With No Tail, as our lovable canine hero visits the tailor - every dog's first thought, when looking for a tail! - and a wagon-maker (to make his newly created tail wag, of course) in his effort to fit in with his friends, and find what he feels he is lacking. I also appreciated the message of the story, that we should accept ourselves for who we are, and understand that we don't have to be exactly like those around us to have worth. The artwork is humorous and appealing, as one would expect from Jules Feiffer, who illustrated one of my all-time favorite books, The Phantom Tollbooth. Recommended to young dog lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories about difference and self-acceptance. ( )

'Henry the Dog with No Tail' is a pretty self-explanatory book, though it's message is still important and even a bit difficult for some people to grasp at times. Just because someone looks different then you think someone should look, doesn't make them less of a person- or in this case, dog. Due to some negative attention his lack of a tail has gotten, Henry has learned to dislike not having a tail as well and goes on a great big adventure just to try to find one. In the end, his new 'tail' nearly puts him in serious danger, as most real life self alterations tend to do. Even the bully can clearly see the danger and changes their attitude, saying Henry doesn't need a tail anyway. ( )

When Henry decides he wants a tail like the rest of his friends he winds up in a big mess. Sometimes we need to be happy with what we've got. What makes us unique makes us special and this story is a humorous story about being who we are. ( )

Henry was a dog with no tail, and wanted so badly to have a tail of his own just like all of his dog friends. He would sit around all day crying about the fact that he had no tail. He had three main dog friends whose tails could all do different things, or looked different. Grady’s tail swung so fast Henry compared it to a baseball bat. Then there was Henry’s friend Pip, who could tie her tail into a bow. Larry, whose real name was Larrissima, didn’t so much have a trick that she could do with her tail. But her tail could stick up straight up like a palm tree. Henry wanted so badly to have a tail so he could some kind of trick to do with his tail, so he decided to get a fake tail. That ended up not being the world’s greatest idea. The tailor had made his tail to long, so when he ended up in a tree Henry had gotten tangled up around the tree because of the length of the his tail. At the end of the story Henry decided to give up the fake tail and just be happy the way he is without a tail. ( )

Henry is different from other dogs: he has no tail, but he wants one...so he goes to get one. First he goes to the tailor (ha), who makes him a ridiculously long tail - but the tail doesn't wag. Then he goes to wagon maker (ha ha), but he can't help; Henry buys a wagon and goes off in search of something that will make his tail wag. He finds it in Battery Park (full of batteries, of course). The battery makes Henry's tail wag a little TOO much, he he decides he's just fine without a tail - but with a tale to tell. Goofy and full of groan-inducing puns, it's still a good choice for kids who like dogs and/or feel different. ( )