Shibu's Tail by Tess Thomas, illustrated by Kamwei Fong

The first thing that stood out to me about Shibu’s Tail was the cover — how enormous is that titular tail! How much of the cover it takes up! The textured cat on the cover feels exactly how Shibu looks. (You might also notice the blue sticker announcing "Sara ❤️'s this." I bought this copy at Carmichael's Kids in Kentucky, and bookseller Sara recommended the book!)

The first spread is so charming — Shibu stares right out at you. Can't you imagine little readers reaching to look at Shibu when you read that first page? The simple text paired with big, bold illustrations of silly cats — ah! Shibu’s Tail is a clear readaloud choice.

Shibu himself is downright adorable. His big eyes and lack of mouth give him a Hello Kitty-like allure. Shibu's round, textured body reminds me of Tove Jansson’s Moomins. 

This one really looks like a Hattifattener!

Shibu’s tail helps him express emotions, doing everything from holding up milk cartons to curling into a heart. It takes on a star shape when he’s proud and bares its teeth like a monster when he’s hungry. The cartoon rules of this book are delightful — each page delivers a different tail shape sure to surprise.

What makes Shibu's Tail unique from other books about the importance of expressing feelings is the cartoon physics and the illustrations by Kamwei Fong. Like a real cat, the cats of Shibu's Tail use their tails to express their emotions, but the absurd shapes make for an amusing take on the expressiveness of cat tails.

Kamwei Fong is the artist behind the art series The Furry Thing, which features cartoon-like cats made of thousands of hatchmarks. Kamwei really is the perfect illustrator for this picture book. He takes Tess Thomas' concept and pushes it into the fantastical. I loved it! Fong's illustrations go to show that you don't need color to have whimsy in a picture book.

Book Info

• Title: Shibu's Tail

• Publisher: Levine Querido/Chronicle Books

• ISBN: 9781646145737

• Author: Tess Thomas

• Illustrator: Kamwei Fong

• Pub date: Sept 2025

• Source: https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=1646145739&g=4400

  
  

  Available in Spanish in March 2026!

Learn more about Kamwei Fong here: https://www.kamweifong.com/