How to Save Your Tail — Mary Hanson

How does a cookie-baking Rat named Bob save his tail from being gobbled by two hungry cats? By serving them cookies and telling them fantastic fairy tales about his family, of course. There's the story about great-grand uncle Mustard who upgrades his family to a lovely three-bedroom brick house. (All's well until some wolves with snout-warts show up.) And there's the one about how starving Grandma Lois was forced to take a job spinning straw into gold. (Impossible to do . . . until a hairy chimney troll comes along.)

With allusions to classic fairy tales, plus a storytelling rat to rival Scheherazade, this book -- which also includes black-and-white illustrations, a family tree, and a map of Bob's neighborhood -- is sure to hold both cats and kids captive.