Old Turtle and the Broken Truth

October 27, 2003
In this handsome but overwrought sequel to Wood's Old Turtle
(illus. by Cheng-Khee Chee), "a truth" falls from the sky and breaks in two. One half vanishes; the other (bearing the words "You Are Loved") is rejected by the animal kingdom because a part of it is missing." A human snaps it up and shares it with those "who spoke as he spoke and dressed as he dressed and whose faces looked like his." Eventually, the humans' faulty "Truth" inspires "anger toward those who were not like themselves," and war breaks out. Finally, a girl asks Old Turtle for help and returns to her people both with wisdom ("Every person, every being, is important, and... the world was made for each of us") and a special stone—the missing half of the broken truth. Repaired, the whole truth forms a golden heart, which reads, "You Are Loved and So Are They." Wood's fulsome prose ("She had... crossed the Mountains of Imagining and the River of Wondering Why, had found her way through the Forest of Finding Out") and heavy-handed message stand out in sharp contrast to the simplicity and subtle lyricism of Muth's (The Three Questions
) semi-abstract watercolors. From his exquisite animal portraits to the saturated colors, striking interplay of light and shadow and dreamy, memorable images, the artist's work reflects a depth of emotion absent from the text. Ages 5-up. (Oct.)

FYI:
For each copy sold through the U.S. trade market, the publisher will donate $1 to First Book, a national organization that provides books to needy children
.

December 1, 2003
Gr 4 Up-A truth falls from the sky and breaks in half. "One of the pieces blazed off through the night sky, /and the other fell to earth in the beautiful land." Several animals discard the broken piece because they feel that "there is something missing." When a human finds it, he is delighted, for it says, "You are loved." He reveals this truth to others "whose faces look like his." They begin to ignore the earth's beauty, to fear those who do not "share their truth," and to fight continually with those "others" who wish to possess it. Finally, a girl who embarks on a difficult journey to seek the advice of Old Turtle helps the people see that there is not just one truth, but "truths all around us, and within us" and that the second half of the broken truth is "And so are they." Muth's watercolor-and-ink illustrations powerfully reflect the moods evoked by the lyrical text. The humans are depicted as black, Giacometti-like silhouettes surrounded by darkness above and below. These same people form a rainbow-hued chain as they begin to see themselves in one another. The beautiful text and illustrations printed on wonderfully thick paper make a lovely package, and while the message, similar to Mem Fox's Feathers and Fools (Harcourt, 1996), is a difficult one for young children to grasp, it is sure to spark discussion among older students.-Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2003
K-Gr. 2. " Old Turtle" was a phenomenon, and many found its message inspirational. This sequel features the same gorgeous, shimmering watercolors as the earlier book, and, unfortunately, the same pretentious pieties. In a land "where every stone was a teacher . . and every tree a ladder to the stars," a truth falls, and breaks into parts. Various creatures find the broken truth, and one, a man, takes its message, "You Are Loved," to heart. So do other people, who fear and fight those who are not like themselves and do not share their truth. A little girl comes to Old Turtle to ask how to stop the suffering in the world, and he tells her how to make the truth whole. Next to the broken half, "You Are Loved," the child places the rest of the shining truth, which reads "And So Are They." Turtle has many fans, so expect an audience for this easy lesson in solving the world's problems.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)