Turtle Walk

Turtle kids experience extremely delayed gratification when their parents announce a local adventure in this winning picture book. The gentle joke at the heart of the story is that the destination is a hillside above the meadow where the turtles live; being turtles, though, it takes the family four seasons to arrive there. "Turtle walk. Nice and slow./ Here we go," announces the narrative refrain. "Are we there yet?/ No." But Phelan (You Are My Friend) makes the trip more than worthwhile for both his characters and readers: translucent, radiant washes, which look barely dry, chronicle the passage of time and turtles with luscious scenes of flowers and showers, a busy playground and brilliant firefly display, and a ripe orchard and a glowing pumpkin field. Things turn a little treacherous as the family struggles to climb the snowy hill in the last leg, but when the answer to "Are we there yet?" finally turns to "Yes," and the turtles joyfully toboggan home on their shells, readers will enjoy recognizing the landmarks passed on the way up. It's every memorable family trip in a nutshell, filled with moments of tedium, thrills, and, best of all, togetherness. Ages 4-8. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2--Phelan places the walk of a family of turtles at the center of this picture book, which becomes a journey through the seasons. This small bale, or family of turtles, contains two large ones and two smaller ones. The turtles have a few mostly repetitive sentences for every walk: "Turtle walk, here we go. Are we there yet? No." Preschoolers will snuggle in close and soon learn to "read" the lines. And then, as a snowy slope appears, "Are we there yet?" brings a much different answer, with sledding and a quiet scene of winter hibernation to follow. The loose, glowing watercolor provide direction and a clear color story that ties the story together, as bits of orange on one page become more prominent on the next as the story moves into, for example, autumn. The transitions connect colors, seasons, and story to nudge young readers to identify seasonal elements. This book has so much to offer for readers, from the simple story that could be sung, to the exploration of seasons, to the repetition of text to engage budding readers. VERDICT An excellent example of simple storytelling matched with inky watercolor drawings to create a story of family, and a story of seasons. This is a perfect book, and an instant classic for story hours.--Katie Llera, Brunner Elem. Sch., Scotch Plains, NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A family of turtles celebrates four seasons with a long walk around its small world. . . . Simple, rhyming text . . . accompanies the little group of four on its journey . . . Phelan's artwork is lively and visually bright, with rich colors and impressionistic lines . . . Playful and lighthearted."—Kirkus Reviews