TURTLE TALE

by Frank Asch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 30, 1979

How Turtle learns that different situations require different adaptations, told with a concrete minimum of words and in simple color pictures that make the lesson clear and the fun part of the lesson. When an apple falls on his head, Turtle decides that the wise thing would be to keep his head inside--where, as pictured on an all-black page, ""it was so dark he couldn't see a thing."" Bumping into things and missing dinner convinces Turtle that, on the contrary, keeping his head out would be wise--but then come rain drops and a hungry fox and the realization that ""then again, maybe it's best if I keep my head out sometimes and sometimes pull it. . . [pause for the fox to pounce] in."" The droll absurdity built into the pictures reinforces Asch's demonstration of Turtle's clunking misjudgment; yet there isn't a line or a word to distract his very young audience from the sense of the fable.

Pub Date: Nov. 30, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dial

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1979

Categories: CHILDREN'S