School Library Journal (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

PreS-Gr 1 What makes a pig feel like a pig? What does he value above all, and what makes him feel proud, even great? Churchill the pig has many talents and friends, but it is his tail that gives him joy and makes him feel unique. When it goes missing one day, he sits bereft until his pals volunteer their "spares." Zebra, Peacock, and Tiger all offer extra tails to replace the lost appendage. In a flurry of opportunities to try new tails, Churchill loses something even more precious; he has forgotten his friends. A gentle pastel palette of digitally created scenes features the lightest touch of texture and shading of Churchill, his animal friends, and their surroundings. A strong eye for detail and variation of cell size encourage readers to look closely at art on walls or open doors in Churchill's world. Where is Churchill's tail? Are his friendships lost, too? A new friend helps him find the solution for both problems in this delightful dose of fantasy. "Spare tails" help emphasize the generous gift of friendship and its careful nurture. Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Tails make the pig, as the old saying goes-or should go, anyway, according to this story by debut author Sandu, first published in the U.K. After a bon vivant pig named Churchill loses his own curlicue, he tries on some spares from other animals, with unexpected results: a fish tail turns Churchill into a swan-diving swimmer, an elephant-s tail makes him feel like a porcine version of the Hulk, and a tiger-s tail convinces him that he is -the world-s strongest, bravest pig.- Churchill gets so caught up in his new identities that he has no time for his old friends. Sandu doesn-t quite know how to bring her story full circle-the ending doesn-t match the freshness of the pages that precede it-but she-s a talent to watch. She has a strong a sense of visual craft, and her compositional, character, and comic skills are equal to those of many veterans. The self-possessed Churchill, rendered as a soft peach biomorph with tiny eyes, is a wonderful creation; most readers should willingly forgive-if not downright envy-his substitute tail-induced hauteur. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

After pig Churchill loses his tail, he starts collecting new ones from all sorts of animals, including a tiger and fish. He becomes so preoccupied with his fabulous collection that he neglects his friends, but when he finds his old tail, he realizes his mistake. Silly digital illustrations of Churchill sporting his array of tails accompany this whimsical story of vanity gone wild.

ALA Booklist

There's nothing like the loss of one's tail to remind us that friends are not to be taken for granted. Churchill is an erudite, gregarious, and polite pig. He is also a tad too proud for his own good. And because the universe has a way of deflating even the puffiest of pigs, Churchill is bereft when he loses his tale. How can he possibly feel great without it? Loyal friends help him find a replacement (zebra tail, peacock feathers, etc.) but the search causes him to neglect those friends. That is, until Churchill serendipitously comes across his tail in an unexpected place: on the head of a little bird who put it there as a useless ornament. This much needed shift in perspective teaches Churchill that it was his friends, not so much his tail, that gave meaning to his life. Sandu's debut effortlessly blends whimsy, adventure, a message of forgiveness, and irresistibly cute animals. Delightful details pack each page and will have young readers giggling long after the tale itself (tails themselves?) have lost their novelty.