GRUMPY TORTOISE

A tortoise who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed finds plenty of reasons to smile in the course of one day.

The titular tortoise starts the day with an easily recognized scowl, but each successive double-page spread shows it enjoying an array of pleasing activities and feeling progressively “a little less grumpy.” It’s a useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass,” rather than an exploration of crankiness or its impact on others. The blurb on the back suggests that “friends have a way of making things better.” Each scenario does include other creatures watching the tortoise smell flowers, listen for his echo, eat ice cream in the desert, enjoy the breeze on the ocean, and roller skate, but it’s only clear that they’re socializing in the last two scenes—enjoying a pizza party and watching the sunset. The conclusion is unambiguously positive, however: “What a wonderful day! It was time for bed, and Tortoise didn’t feel grumpy at all!” The artwork is colorful, and the animals are expressive and charming. This is part of a four-book series exploring feelings, and it is one of the more successful. Companion volumes are Careful Chameleon, Scaredy Cat (both muddled), and Steady Sloth, who perseveres while others quit in frustration. Stick with the tortoise and the sloth.

A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting.