Turtle and Me

PreS-Gr 1—"I met Turtle on the day I was born. On that great and important day, I was totally tiny and Turtle was way bigger than me." Readers meet Turtle even earlier, on the title page illustration while the protagonist's mom is still pregnant, and so begins this story of a very special bond between the young narrator and his stuffed friend. As the boy grows, well-loved Turtle suffers his share of accidents. Colorful, detailed spot art highlights tender moments in time as well as some disasters: after a bowl of spaghetti lands on Turtle, during an attack by the family puppy, and just before getting thrown up on after too much birthday excitement. With every page turn, Turtle accumulates additional patches and stains. Finally, an ill-fated playdate calls everything into question when a disagreement leaves Turtle spewing stuffing and nearly split in two. Turtle's boy takes the jeers to heart and decides he's too big for his lovey. Still, the night proves too long and lonely without Turtle, and the final page shows this friendship is still going strong.