Who Wants a Tortoise?

April 18, 2016
Learn to love the one you’re with, Keane (Daddy Adventure Day) suggests in a story about a girl who gets a tortoise for her birthday. She desperately wanted a puppy, but her father is allergic to dogs. Campbell’s (Dylan the Villain) softly tinted watercolor-and-colored-pencil drawings say plenty about the girl’s emotions as she marches off, lower lip protruding, arms crossed, sent for a time-out after sassing her father (“Did you ever think I might be allergic to a dumb tortoise?”). Campbell captures the girl’s scowl when her mother scolds her for decorating the creature’s shell (and even painting its nails), and then her dignified stride as she takes her tortoise for his first walk. By the time the tortoise gets lost in the yard, the girl’s distress makes it evident that she has found a way to love her pet—and that the name Rover is appropriate for him, too. Carefully tracing the emotional journey from disappointment to love, Keane and Campbell allow readers wrestling with their own frustrations to imagine what change feels like. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words.

Starred review from May 1, 2016
A nameless, pigtailed, sassy child in a pink gossamer skirt wants only one birthday present: a puppy; in the box, however, is not a puppy but a tortoise. "WHO WANTS A TORTOISE?!" The protagonist sure doesn't, but Daddy is allergic to dogs. What follows is a list of don'ts: tortoises don't fetch, don't roll over, don't lick your face, don't beg for baloney, and don't get excited when you come through the door. An abrupt change in attitude occurs once the young tortoise-owner gives her shelled pet a makeover: "I do his nails with Sparkling Raspberry Delight." When Grammy and Grandpa bring her a tortoise book as a present, she grows even more receptive: an illustration shows the tortoise atop a pink skateboard, nails still pink, and a leash duct-taped to his shell. She brings her tortoise to sharing day at school; her tortoise races and beats snails by a mile. But then he runs away. Signs go up in the neighborhood, and everyone joins the quest to find the coldblooded friend. Campbell's familiar style is present in soft watercolor and colored pencil. Young readers will notice details such as emotive expressions on humans and pets alike, as well as plenty of dog paraphernalia. The protagonist appears to be biracial, with a white mom and East Asian dad. The endpapers are a collection of sketches and fun facts. A sweet read-aloud for first-time tortoise owners. (Picture book. 5-8)

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September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-A girl yearns for a puppy. After much anticipation, her birthday present doesn't turn out to be what she expected. With dreams dashed, she eyes her tortoise warily. Assessing the abilities of her "new lump of a pet," the feisty child discovers that he's not good at fetch, won't "beg for baloney," and doesn't "get excited when you come through the door." The pair do eventually bond over toenail-painting parties and skateboard-enabled walks. When her tortoise goes missing, the girl realizes how much she loves that "rascally guy with the waggly tail." Campbell's quirky colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations are the perfect match for the hilarious, spirited narration. Wearing a paw-print T-shirt, the sassy, pigtailed girl shows her initial displeasure by crinkling her eyes and making her "mad face." In a touching scene, the child appears in the nighttime shadows, wistfully looking out her window for her lost friend. VERDICT Irresistibly idiosyncratic and full of charm, this pet tale is a keeper. An adorable addition to any pet-themed storytime.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont., Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Preschool-G Who wants a tortoise? Well, certainly not the pigtailed narrator, who has been counting on a puppy for her birthdaypicking names, reading books, and ignoring her dad's allergies. Her birthday present looks promising with holes in the box, but it turns out they are for the titular tortoise. Keane does a great job of presenting the hurt, disappointment, and anger of a child who is watching her long-held dream morph from adorable puppy into stolid reptile. The girl tries to teach the tortoise tricks to no avail, but slowly (about as slowly as the tortoise moves) she begins to enjoy her pet. And when the tortoise escapes, she experiences real feelings of loss. The happy ending allows the girl to finally pick out a name for the tortoise: Rover. Campbell's art, similar in feel to Sophie Blackall's illustrations, has great charm and appeal and serves the clever story admirably, extending and polishing each plot point. Whether this will make kids prefer tortoises over puppies remains to be seen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2017
The narrator longs for a puppy for her birthday--but instead gets a tortoise. At an appropriately slow-and-steady pace, owner and pet do begin to warm up to each other. When the tortoise gets lost, the girl realizes how much she cares. The narrator's initial petulance, revealed in the frank narrative and soft watercolor and colored-pencil pictures, is both entertaining and realistic.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from July 1, 2016
In spite of her father's allergies, the narrator longs for a puppy for her birthday. The "present with the holes in the top" looks promising, but what she finds inside is a tortoise -- and a lot of disappointment. Her dog-owning party guests are not very helpful. ("What is that?'Is it dead?'") An array of spot art shows the tough start to the relationship between girl and tortoise, while lists on the refrigerator keep score: Things a Tortoise Can Do vs. Things a Dog Can Do. At an appropriately slow-and-steady pace, owner and pet do begin to warm up to each other. The tortoise sits still to have his toenails painted, wins a race (against some snails), and poops on classmate Brendan's desk at school ("which is totally great"). Just as the new bond forms, the tortoise manages to get lost ("He looks like a rock, but with long, sparkly pink toenails"), and the girl suddenly realizes how much she cares. He turns up in the neighbor's turnips and cabbages and is welcomed home with fanfare and a name of his own: Rover. The narrator's initial petulance, revealed in the frank narrative and soft pictures done in watercolor and colored pencils, is both entertaining and realistic. Sensitive readers may develop feelings for the innocent tortoise long before she does, which makes for a satisfying ending. Front endpapers outline the tortoise's disadvantages, while the back reflects the girl's capitulation with an enthusiastic presentation of useful tortoise facts. julie roach

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2016
In spite of her father's allergies, the narrator longs for a puppy for her birthday. The "present with the holes in the top" looks promising, but what she finds inside is a tortoise -- and a lot of disappointment. Her dog-owning party guests are not very helpful. ("What is that?'Is it dead?'") An array of spot art shows the tough start to the relationship between girl and tortoise, while lists on the refrigerator keep score: Things a Tortoise Can Do vs. Things a Dog Can Do. At an appropriately slow-and-steady pace, owner and pet do begin to warm up to each other. The tortoise sits still to have his toenails painted, wins a race (against some snails), and poops on classmate Brendan's desk at school ("which is totally great"). Just as the new bond forms, the tortoise manages to get lost ("He looks like a rock, but with long, sparkly pink toenails"), and the girl suddenly realizes how much she cares. He turns up in the neighbor's turnips and cabbages and is welcomed home with fanfare and a name of his own: Rover. The narrator's initial petulance, revealed in the frank narrative and soft pictures done in watercolor and colored pencils, is both entertaining and realistic. Sensitive readers may develop feelings for the innocent tortoise long before she does, which makes for a satisfying ending. Front endpapers outline the tortoise's disadvantages, while the back reflects the girl's capitulation with an enthusiastic presentation of useful tortoise facts. julie roach

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)