Who Wants a Tortoise?

by Dave Keane, K. G. Campbell (Illustrator)

Overview

"A sweet read-aloud for first-time tortoise owners." --Kirkus, starred review


Could there be any better pet than a puppy? One young girl is about to find out. From beloved author Dave Keane and acclaimed illustrator K.G. Campbell, a laugh-out-loud story of unexpected friendship!
 
 
When the spunky, loveable narrator receives a tortoise for her birthday, instead of the cuddly puppy she’s longed for her entire life, she’s more than a little disappointed.  But while her new lump of a pet isn’t what she dreamed of, it doesn’t take long—between tortoise-on-skateboard walks, sparkly shell makeovers, and a lemonade stand selling chances to hold a real life tortoise—for the little girl to change her mind—sort of.  But when her pet goes missing, all she wants is to be reunited with her new best friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385754194
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/19/2016
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	53 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Dave Keane is the author of Sloppy Joe and Bobby Bramble Loses His Brain. He lives in Northern California, where his family pet is a tortoise named Shelly! Visit him at mrdavekeane.com. Follow Dave on Twitter, @MrDaveKeane.

K.G Campbell was born in Kenya, but raised and educated in Scotland. He has illustrated the Newbury Award winning Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters, which he also wrote. K.G. lives in California. Visit him at kgcampbell.com and follow him on Twitter, @KGCampbell2.

Editorial Reviews

04/18/2016
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. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"A sweet read-aloud for first-time tortoise owners."—Kirkus Review starred review

"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."—The Horn Book Magazine starred review

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
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

School Library Journal

★ 2016-04-13
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)

Kirkus Reviews