Reader's Choice

The Turtle and the Moon by Charles Turner

Turner, C. (1991) The Turtle and the Moon. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

For any little boy who had a pet turtle, this will instantly earn a place as a nightly bedtime read. Turner gives a lonesome turtle the moon as a playmate. For the sole child of a family, the child will immediately identify themselves as the turtle. Consequently, this book will serve as a much needed hug for not having siblings. The soothing shades of greenand the whisps of the paint brushes makes the illustration complimentary to the wild freedom of nature. The mystic power of the moon transcends in this delightful book. This books would make a wonderful accompany to the class pet or in a science class that studies biology and plant life.

Doctor De Soto by William Steig

Steig, W. (1982) Doctor De Soto. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

After thirty years, Doctor De Soto is a wonderful picture book that still entertains children with a clever story line. Doctor De Soto reminds readers of the old Aesop Fables that used animals to teach lessons applicable to a successful life. Dr. De Soto is a mouse dentist that begrudgingly treats a scoundrel fox for a toothache. As a dentist, who declines to render aid to those animals dangerous to mice (i.e. foxes, cats and elephants), Dr. De Soto and his wife finds themselves having to use their quick wit to outsmart the otherwise hungry fox. The illustrations are colorful and authentic, reminiscent of a time when children chalked the sidewalks of a busy metropolis and society had a sense of wholesomeness. Furthermore, this book harks back to the days when children pretended, and wanted, to be doctors when they grew up. I would use this book for “Career Day.” Now days, children want to become movie stars and professional athletes. This picture book holds tender the days when the imaginations of children were more realistic.