tortoises – Mom Read It

Tales from the TBR: Picture Books about Animals

Posted on July 18, 2023July 17, 2023 by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s another installation of Tales from the TBR, and this time, I’ve got some fun books about animals for your collections! Enjoy.

Holey Moley, by Bethan Clarke/Illustrated by Anders Frang, (Aug. 2023, Kane Miller), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684645497

Ages 4-8

This hilarious story is full of wordplay, rhymes, and laughs. Gus the Goat meets Mavis the Mole and proceeds to start guessing where Mavis lives, adding his own rhyming flair: “A mole in a hole. A moley in a holey. A holey moley!” Mavis weathers Gus’s insistence on coming up with rhyming places where Mavis lives, to the reader’s delight. The back-and-forth dialogue is fast-paced, with illustrations that bring Gus’s imagination to life in the silliest of ways. A supporting cast of animal characters provide an audience for Gus. Originally published earlier this year in Great Britain, Holey Moley is a good addition to stories that engage readers with creative wordplay.

Just a Worm, by Marie Boyd, (March 2023, Greenwillow Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9780063212565

Ages 4-8

After being called “just a worm” in the most squeamish of reactions, Worm sets off through a garden to discover ways to prove people wrong. Some garden denizens are friendly, some are a little standoffish, but every0ne in the garden – including worm – has something important to contribute. An engaging narrative about recognizing one’s worth, Just a Worm is also a STEM story about how spiders, dragonflies, ladybugs,, bees, caterpillars and butterflies, and worms are the best neighbors a garden can have. Paper-quilling art adds an extra dimension of texture; back matter includes instructions on making a quilled paper butterfly that is sure to delight readers. Earthworm facts and a glossary complete this story that will find a home on fiction and STEM shelves.

Fish and Crab, by Marianna Coppo, (March 2023, Chronicle Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781797204437

Ages 4-8

Best friends Fish and Crab live together in an aquarium, where they share a bedroom. When it’s time to go to sleep, Fish has a lot of worries: what was that sound? What if aliens abduct them? What if it rains frogs? Crab brews a cup of herbal tea and hears Fish out, with some hilarious commentary. An adorable bedtime story with some chuckles in store, Coppo creates a sweet story about friendship and the importance of having a person you can turn to with all your worries and fears – no matter what time of day or night. The back-and-forth dialogue moves quickly, and the tempera and pastel illustrations move from bright colors to grey and black to denote nighttime conversations. Parents will get a kick out of this one, too; they’ll see themselves in this scenario. Endpapers add to the story, with black endpapers and a wide-open pair of eyes to denote who’s left awake in the beginning and end of the story. A storytime choice your readers will want to hear again and again.

The Fastest Tortoise in Town, by Howard Calvert/Illustrated by Karen Obuhanych, (Apr. 2023, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536228359

Ages 3-7

A charming story that acts as a prequel to a beloved fairy tale, The Fastest Tortoise in Town is the story of Barbara Hendricks, a “regular leopard tortoise” whose owner and best friend, a little girl named Lorraine, has entered her in a race. Barbara is nervous about her chances – she’s a tortoise, after all – but Lorraine encourages her and helps her build stamina by taking her for walks every day. When Barbara is frustrated at how slow she is compared to assorted toddlers, remote-controlled vehicles, and Lorraine’s grandfather, Lorraine is there to keep Barbara’s spirits high. Calvert spins an adorable story of friendship and perseverance, told in the first person from Barbara’s point of view, and touches on facing and overcoming fears. Obuhanych’s enjoyable, colorful mixed media illustrations show expressive animal and human characters; the panel-by-panel scenes from the actual race will have readers giggling as they enjoy the unlikely competitors. The story’s end leads into a well-known fairy tale; have some of the many versions available! A very cute addition to storytime collections.

While We Can’t Hug explains the now normal to kids

Posted on October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 by Rosemary Kiladitis

While We Can’t Hug, by by Eoin McLaughlin/Illustrated by Polly Dunbar, (Aug. 2020, Faber & Faber USA), $15.95, ISBN: 978-0571365586

Ages 3-7

Last year, Hedgehog and Tortoise became best friends in The Hug. This year, social distancing has hit them, too, but they’re finding ways to work around it in While We Can’t Hug. For the book’s duration, Hedgehog is on the left side, and Tortoise on the right; they’re sad that they miss each other but can’t hug, until Owl swoops in and tells them that there are many other ways to show love and affection. The two friends tentatively give it a shot, first, by waving, then by making funny faces. Inspired, the two write letters, blow kisses, dance, and paint pictures together, simply enjoying the other’s company. Author Eoin McLaughlin eloquently uses brief text to communicate the many ways to show others we love them while hugging isn’t an option. Polly Dunbar’s warm artwork uses comforting colors and soft shading to make each reader feel like they’re included in Hedgehog’s and Tortoise’s circle of friends.

For little ones who are having a difficult time not seeing friends and family, or seeing them and not being able to run and hug them, books like this are vital in explaining that love is still there, even when touch isn’t an option. Polly Dunbar provides the most important observation as Hedgehog and Tortoise share love across the book’s pages: “They could not touch. They could not hug. But they both knew that they were loved”. And that’s the message to take to heart.

picture books, Preschool Reads

Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar know the power of The Hug

Posted on April 8, 2019April 6, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Hug, by Eoin McLaughlin/Illustrated by Polly Dunbar, (April 2019, Faber & Faber), $15.95, ISBN: 9780571348756

Ages 3-6

A sad hedgehog just wants a hug to help feel better, but every animal he comes across seems to find an excuse to run away. A tortoise also wants a hug to boost its spirits, but the animals all have other things to do, too. A wise owl tells the hedgehog that he’s a bit spiky to hug, and the tortoise’s shell is a bit hard, but “there’s someone for everyone”. And when the hedgehog and tortoise meet, they share a hug that will warm the insides of every reader in the room. The Hug is an adorable flipbook with short, easy-to-read sentences about the power of a hug. Read Hedgehog’s story, then flip the book and read Tortoise’s; they meet in the middle, in a hug that makes the two friends, and their readers, “as happy as a hug can make you… as happy as two someones can be”.

The artwork is simple and sweet, set against a plain ivory background. When the two characters hug, the joy on their faces is matched only by the swirls of color, stars, and flower petals surrounding them. It’s a sweet story that is perfect for storytime, perfect for cuddletime, wonderful for any time. I read this in a recent storytime and the kids and parents alike loved the leadup to the hug and the flip from one story to the next. A sweet story that reminds readers that there’s always someone out there to hug, no matter how prickly or how tough you may think you’re feeling.