Turtle-Turtle and the Wide-Wide River [hc]
By Jane Hillenbrand [Ohio] and Will Hillenbrand [Ohio]
The rain pelted down, down, down
And the wide, wide river rose up, up, up
All around, all around.
When a storm strikes, most of the animals know what to do: Skiddaddle! But Turtle-Turtle doesn’t realize he should swim away... until the water rises. Although he’s scared to weather it on his own, he learns that he doesn’t have to. Comforting companions Heron and Frog help Turtle-Turtle until—bit-by-bit, friend-by-friend—he finds the strength within himself to push onwards to safer shores.
Rich with rhythm and read-aloud potential, Turtle-Turtle and the Wide, Wide River is a perfect bedtime book that masterfully melds an epic adventure with a reassuring ending. Drawing on their years of shared experience teaching and creating picture books, Jane and Will Hillenbrand offer readers a celebration of friendship and a gentle reminder that, even when you’re stuck on the stormiest seas, your loved ones will help you to stay afloat. 40 pages
"The authors’ use of alliteration, onomatopoeia, and internal and end-of-line rhymes makes this story flow effortlessly and dramatically when read aloud. These elements, as well as the repetition of words and a refrain, will encourage even the youngest listeners to participate." -Kirkus Reviews (Ages 2-5)
"Deft use of repetition and onomatopoeia make this a lively readaloud, while kinetic digital images of the roiling river and ominous skies evoke a just-right dose of suspense (and relief) among the cast of bright-eyed critters rendered with thickly outlined shapes." -Publishers Weekly (Ages 3-6)
March 12, 2024
Can be signed and personalized by the author and illustrator
