The Turtle of Oman

June 2, 2014
Aref Al-Amri doesn’t want to accompany his professor parents on their three-year stint to Ann Arbor, Mich., so he spends his last days in Oman thinking of reasons not to go. Nye (There Is No Difference Now) writes in lyrical prose from a close third-person perspective, poignantly capturing Aref’s impressions of and reflections on the people, places, and experiences he will leave behind, such as the ocean view from his house’s roof, his cat Mish-Mish, and conversations with his beloved grandfather, Sidi: “Words blended together like paint on paper when you brushed a streak of watercolor orange onto a page, blew on it and thin rivers of color spread out, touching other colors to make a new one.” Aref’s handwritten lists of newly learned facts (“Wood turtles are enormous”) or questions he wonders about (“Why can’t Sidi come with us?”) appear throughout, emphasizing his intellect and emotions: “Were eyes little factories that made as many tears as you needed?” While conveying Aref’s ambivalence about leaving home, this tender story also reveals the inner resources that will help him navigate his new environment. Ages 8–12.

June 1, 2014

Gr 3-6-In the last week before his family leaves Oman for a three-year stint in Michigan, Aref has a hard time saying good-bye to his beloved home, particularly his grandfather, Sidi. Readers are never told Aref's exact age; he is clearly articulate, yet excerpts from his notebook show his writing has not transitioned to cursive. Friends come to say goodbye; the suitcase must be packed; and Sidi takes Aref for an overnight camping trip, fishing on the Indian Ocean and memorably, to visit a nesting ground for many kinds of turtles. The language is fresh and lyrical at times, with vivid descriptions of daily life and Aref's obvious anxiety about leaving. Not much happens in the way of plot, but the excellence of the portrayal of the setting and the emotional state of a young boy subject to the loving whims of his parents are vividly captured. "When you drove out in the country, you felt closer to the earth than you felt in the city. You had better thoughts in the country. Your thoughts made falcon moves, dipping and rippling, swooping back into your brain to land." The omniscient narration thus brings a larger context than Aref alone could share. Simply told, yet richly rewarding.-Carol A. Edwards, Denver Public Library, CO

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