A Surprise for Mrs. Tortoise

by Paula Merlán, Sonja Wimmer (Illustrator)

Overview

Mrs. Tortoise and Birdie are very close friends. One morning, Mrs. Tortoise sees her reflection in the pond and realizes her shell is worn out, and she feels old and sad. Then Birdie comes along with an idea to cheer her up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788494633348
Publisher:	NubeOcho
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Series:	Somos8 Series
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	AD590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sonja Wimmer is a renowned international illustrator. Her books are among the most best-selling in Europe.
In the USA She has received the Independent Publisher Book Award,
the International Latino Book, and she was two times winner of the Moonbeam Children´s Book Awards. Her book "Bogo the Fox Who Wanted Everything" is a Junior Library Guild Selection.
Paula Merlán is a professor of Children’s Education. She started giving classes in Reading Encouragement and in 2012 she published her first picture book. She has published a dozen books which have been translated into English, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. Her Spanish books have also been published in Braille.

Editorial Reviews

Mrs. Tortoise sees her reflection one morning, and it really brings her down. Her shell looks old and worn out, and it’s really making her feel old and sad. Luckily for her, Birdie, her best friend, is there to cheer her up! He bops around to the sky, the flowers, the wind, and clouds to help decorate her shell and cheer her up, but it seems like everything just makes Mrs. Tortoise feel worse; she loses her temper and snaps at Birdie, but even that doesn’t stop him. When Mrs. Tortoise goes to apologize to Birdie, she discovers that forgiveness and friendship are all that matter (and a little help from the rainbow doesn’t hurt). Washed-out watercolor art splashed across each page spread creates beautiful artwork that readers will gravitate to – especially when Mrs. Tortoise’s shell is covered in flowers! (I see art project at storytime here!) This is a sweet story about friendship and going the extra mile for a friend. A Surprise for Mrs. Tortoise is part of Nube's Somos8 imprint, exploring first sensations and challenges kids meet. -Mom Read It

"Watercolor art splashed across each page spread creates beautiful artwork that readers will gravitate to." -Mom Read It

From the Publisher

2017-07-17
Old Mrs. Tortoise discovers wrinkles. It doesn't make her day.Mrs. Tortoise likes to start her morning at the pond to freshen up. This particular day, "she felt like something extraordinary was about to happen to her." What with this premonition, along with Wimmer's warm, mystical landscapes, Merlán has set the stage. And that special something is: Mrs. Tortoise's reflection, which she clearly has never reflected upon. "Her face was wrinkled and her shell looked worn out. It was right then that she felt old and very, very sad." Her good friend Birdie happens by. Birdie is even more colorful than Mrs. Tortoise's turtleneck sweater. Seeing she is in the dumps, Birdie tries several spectacular efforts to cheer her up, but none suit. Finally Mrs. Tortoise snaps at Birdie, her rage taking him off his feet. Mrs. Tortoise then gets a serious bout of guilt, then collapses into a deep sleep—giving Birdie the chance to pull a neat trick to brighten Mrs. Tortoise's next day. Mrs. Tortoise is thrilled, and apologizes for being mean. Birdie accepts. At first it feels that Birdie had to go to a great deal of effort and trouble for—what? an apology?—and that Merlán's story lacks a reckoning. But the reckoning, and the extraordinary thing, is Birdie going the extra mile for a friend. It's a little roundabout, but this friendship tale gets there in the end. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews