The Fabled Stables: Trouble With Tattle-Tails

In this second book in “The Fabled Stables” series, Auggie is once again caring for unusual one-of-a-kind creatures in the fabled stables. He is working with a difficult animal called the Unfeeling Brute. It has no distinguishing features and does not communicate with anyone. Auggie’s friend Fen, the Stick-in-the-Mud, convinces him to simply leave the Brute alone. But Auggie is not one to give up on even hard-to-love animals. Just as he is going to ask for help from the elusive owner of the island, Professor Cake, Auggie is called to rescue a new beast from danger.

Auggie journeys to the village of Rainbow’s End to find the “Tattle-Tail”; however, he finds an empty village. When he sees a lady peeking out from a corner, he discovers that she has a furry-faced creature like a tail attached to her. The lady is Mayor Clover, and she reveals that Tattle-Tales have attached themselves to dozens of people in the village, making life very difficult. The Mayor tells Auggie, “Every time I did something even a little bit wrong, the tail made sure everyone knew about it.”

These tails came from a box abandoned by a pair of robbers who had stolen it from the village bank vault. Rainbow’s End is the home of the legendary pot of gold. When someone takes one gold coin out of the pot, two more appear. The two guards who were guarding the pot were distracted by their “tails” and lost the precious pot to the robbers. Auggie must work with his friend Fen to lure the Tattle-Tails back to the fabled stables.

Jonathan Auxier has written another wonderful book about Auggie’s island at the top of the world. This time, readers will travel to the magical village of Rainbow’s End where they will find terrified villagers, a mythical pot of gold, and a pair of robber Rooks. Auggie is frustrated by the task he faces. The Tattle-Tails are not easy to deal with, and, at one point, Auggie also gets his own tail. He must use his imagination and call on his friends to solve this difficult problem. Cooperation is absolutely necessary to deal with the Tattle-Tail dilemma.

Olga Demidova’s illustrations are vibrant and insightful. They show young readers what the characters look like so that readers can relate to them as they navigate this mysterious tale. She also brings to life the numerous concepts which permeate the narrative and might be difficult to visualize: Tattle-Tail, Stick-in-the-Mud, and the Pot-of-Gold.

Readers who have not read The Fabled Stables: Willa the Wisp, the first novel in this series, will be able to enjoy Trouble with Tattle Tails on its own. However, they will probably want to read the first volume to enjoy more of Auggie’s adventures! With short paragraphs and sentences, the text of this book is appropriate for young readers just beginning to read chapter books. They could read the book on their own or participate in a read aloud, either in a classroom environment or with a caregiver. There are many interesting topics to discuss in this novel, topics such as tattling, friendship, stealing, animal care, cooperation, problem-solving, and communication. It is also a tale of determination and love for fellow creatures as Auggie tells readers, “It’s my job to care for all creatures- no matter how hard-to–love.”