Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail

From Story Cove's extensive collection, this Australian tale will teach readers the importance of teamwork.




Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail is an Australian folktale about two friends, Tree Kangaroo and Koala. Long ago they were very close, but their friendship soured after the events that transpired during a long drought in Australia. Tree Kangaroo was a hard worker and resourceful while Koala was lazy and selfish.

Tree Kangaroo had the idea of digging a hole for water in a dry stream bed. Tree Kangaroo started to dig, but Koala kept making excuses about why he couldn’t help dig the hole. Finally, Tree Kangaroo ends up digging the entire hole and when he finally finds water, Koala jumps in a drinks all of it. Emblazoned with anger at Koala’s selfish acts, Tree Kangaroo grabs Koala by his long, furry tail and pulls so hard that it breaks off at the base. Now Koala is left with a short, stumpy tail. 

The Australian folktale is complete with an appendix of fun facts. August House Publishers offers an animated version of Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail as well as free lesson plans! 

Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss Bio: 

Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss are a husband-and-wife writing and storytelling team known as "Beauty and the Beast Storytellers." They have traveled the world sharing their passion for the oral tradition and the art of telling great stories. They have co-authored thirteen books and two audio recordings with August House. A number of their books have won prestigious awards including the Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (awarded by Bank Street College of Education), Parents' Choice Award, National Parenting Publications Awards, and Storytelling World Award. Mitch and Martha's story collections include world tales that they tell in a conversational manner so that children can easily comprehend and then share the stories by telling them to other students. Parents and teachers can find a wealth of information on how to get children excited about reading, telling world tales, and making up their own stories at Mitch and Martha's website.

Tom Wrenn Bio: 

Tom is a graphic designer and illustrator with more than 17 years experience. He is skilled at design, animation and illustration in a variety of media including children’s books, websites, television, and published materials. Tom has illustrated and animated nine Story Cove picture books. He currently lives in Florida with his wife and daughter.