The Littlest Turtle

by Lysa Mullady, Erica Salcedo (Illustrator)

Overview

The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady is a picture book about the importance of using your voice to speak up for what is fair and right.

For years, the little turtles climbed on top of the big turtles to eat the freshest fruit from the top of the bushes. The big turtles ate the fallen berries—sour and rotten. Littlest Turtle follows along with this tradition until she hears the feelings of the big turtles. Littlest Turtle sees how unfair this all is and thinks about the important question: would it be so hard to share?

Follow along as Littlest Turtle joins together with the big turtles, speaks up for change, and comes up with a new tradition that works for all turtles, no matter the size!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433840760
Publisher:	Magination Press, American Psychological Association
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lysa Mullady has been an elementary school counselor for 28 years. She is known for her engaging, enthusiastic, and creative counseling style. Her passion is to teach her students to be problem solvers by talking it out and thinking good things. She lives on Long Island.

Editorial Reviews

2023-05-24
Even the tiniest turtle can help make a big change!

Smaller turtles climb onto larger turtles’ backs and eat fruit from the bushes while the bigger turtles eat fallen berries. But one day, Littlest Turtle overhears the larger turtles complaining that their berries are sour and almost rotten. Upon reflection, Littlest Turtle agrees that it isn’t right that the largest turtles don’t get to eat fresh berries. However, when she brings up the subject to another small turtle, she gets push back. “That’s just the way it’s always been.” “There’s no reason to change what works.” That attitude causes the large turtles to avoid the berry bushes so no one eats. Littlest Turtle stands in solidarity with the strike, and a serious communitywide discussion begins. Ultimately the turtles decide “what always was shouldn’t always be when you take the time to see things differently.” And Littlest Turtle has a new plan so every turtle eats the freshest berries. If Littlest Turtle can make a difference, so can a young child. With a simple problem and relatable characters, this allegory gently models fairness and change through communication. Lush pond scenes and turtles with shells that look like they’ve been cut from origami paper help create a community that is a model of cooperation. Backmatter offers adults suggestions for building empathy while also accepting differences. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An entertaining tale that will leave children eager to make the world a fairer place. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews