  | Box turtle Author: Roeder, Vanessa | |
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
Terrance the turtle was born without a shell, so he uses a cardboard box instead. Terrance loves his box. It keeps him dry on soggy days, safe from snooping strangers, and is big enough to cozy up with a friend. But when another turtle points out that Terrance's shell is, well, weird, he begins to wonder whether there might be a better shell out there.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 1.80 Points: .5 Quiz: 509493 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (12/01/19)
Booklist (12/01/19)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (A) (00/02/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 12/01/2019 After Terrance, a turtle, is born without a shell, his parents solve the problem with a cardboard box substitute. Terrance loves his box—it fulfills its purpose and helps him make friends—but when other young turtles make fun of his unusual topping, the shame drives him to seek out a more impressive option. Roeder renders an adorable, rosy-cheeked (all four cheeks, when he’s going about shell-free) Terrance in colorful pencil and acrylics, bringing the cute along with plenty of laughs as he works his way through a number of absurd shell replacements, including a boom box; a box of kitty litter, complete with kitty; and a treasure chest, pursued by vengeful pirates. Pages alternate between full-bleed and spot illustrations, often utilizing simple, comics-style panels to guide the story through various little moments. A sweet, affirming message brings things together in the end as Terrance realizes, thanks to his friends, that he was happiest with his original box. Pair with Jean Reidy’s Truman (2019) for a sweet, turtle-themed story time. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 03/01/2020 PreS-Gr 2—With the crack of his egg on the title page, Terrance the turtle hatches, but a turn of the page verifies that he's missing something important—a shell. His parents assure him he is "so much more than just a shell," and give him a substitute; Terrance is a now indeed a true "box" turtle. However, as Terrance grows, other box turtles pronounce his new box shell "weird," and now Terrance can only see it as "boring" or "bizarre," so the search begins for a better shell. Full-page art with the cartoon faces of Terrance and his faithful hermit crab pal highlight the affection between friends, while text separated by boxed illustrations indicates the search from one choice to the next. "Shell" discards are found—a mailbox, a hatbox, a Jack-in-the-box, a boom box, a lunch box, and even a kitty's litter box—but none match the little turtle's expectations. While time passes and the background light darkens with dawn silhouettes and rainy days, Terrance finds true friendship as he follows a path through the town to a shell just right for him. VERDICT This suggested general purchase supports social-emotional learning with confidence building through awareness of the character's uniqueness and ability to think "out of the box."—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
