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heisereads's review against another edition
3.0
What happens when the pet that you want is not the pet that you get? Don't miss the end papers.
Pair with [b:Prudence Wants a Pet|10326007|Prudence Wants a Pet|Cathleen Daly|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1317793469s/10326007.jpg|15228457], [b:Sparky!|17471114|Sparky!|Jenny Offill|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1406511241s/17471114.jpg|24380109], & [b:A Pet for Petunia|9328234|A Pet for Petunia|Paul Schmid|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1347952755s/9328234.jpg|14211488].
Pair with [b:Prudence Wants a Pet|10326007|Prudence Wants a Pet|Cathleen Daly|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1317793469s/10326007.jpg|15228457], [b:Sparky!|17471114|Sparky!|Jenny Offill|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1406511241s/17471114.jpg|24380109], & [b:A Pet for Petunia|9328234|A Pet for Petunia|Paul Schmid|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1347952755s/9328234.jpg|14211488].
lauren_k_elizabeth's review against another edition
5.0
As a turtle owner (not a tortoise, I know, but close), I felt really bad for the poor tortoise that wasn't wanted by the little girl. But I think the book tells a nice story about how something may not be exactly what you wanted or hoped for, but is exactly what you end up needing. Adorable :)
wordnerd153's review against another edition
4.0
Good book for talking to kids about character development and how your perspective can change.
nikimarion's review against another edition
4.0
Skillfully captures the varying strong emotions behind not getting something you really want for your birthday and slowly (pun intended) learning and growing to accept and appreciate something you never knew you wanted in the first place.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
4.0
Fun story about a girl who learns to love her pet tortoise even though he is not a puppy.
olivias's review against another edition
4.0
The main character asks for a dog for her birthday, but the box with holes in the top contains...a tortoise? It turns out that tortoises cannot do a lot of the things that dogs do, but they can do some things that are kind of great. A cute story with funny details. The illustrations are just okay, but I feel like the author really has a sense of how to imbue that crucial sweetness of details and humour into his writing, which comes through every few pages. Not amazing, but pretty good. I feel like he's almost great. Will check out his other books. Good for a story time, but a bit long, so maybe 5+
thislibrarylife's review against another edition
4.0
This story is so cute! I used it for an elementary story time, and it went over like gangbusters.
josh_caporale's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This is a cute little book that answers the questions of: What is a tortoise really thinking? and Will we ever know? The young girl, who is the subject of this piece, really wants a puppy for her birthday and thinks and dreams about all of the great things that she could do with her new puppy friend that she can only assure she is getting for her birthday. However, her father is allergic to dogs and the most her parents can settle on is a tortoise. The young girl is not too thrilled at first and, based on the facial expressions of the tortoise, neither is the tortoise. The young girl, however, finds the positives of having the tortoise as a pet, such as dressing them up, setting up a lemonade stand where the customers can buy lemonade and/or the opportunity to hold a tortoise, and so many other great things.
This book does a great job demonstrating that you just have to give things an opportunity before you make a judgment about them and that includes pets. While dogs and puppies offer unique opportunities, allergies and living situations may prevent people from being able to keep them, but there are great things you are able to do with other kinds of pets, even if they are different. I liked the illustration from K.G. Campbell and the way it was arranged within the text. Most importantly, though, the tortoise remained an enigma. We know the tortoise likes to eat and sleep, but while we can assume how we would feel having an owner like the young girl in this book, we cannot say for sure that the tortoise loathed their living situation. Nevertheless, the tortoise can be assured that they were being loved.
Quite a fun read!
This is a cute little book that answers the questions of: What is a tortoise really thinking? and Will we ever know? The young girl, who is the subject of this piece, really wants a puppy for her birthday and thinks and dreams about all of the great things that she could do with her new puppy friend that she can only assure she is getting for her birthday. However, her father is allergic to dogs and the most her parents can settle on is a tortoise. The young girl is not too thrilled at first and, based on the facial expressions of the tortoise, neither is the tortoise. The young girl, however, finds the positives of having the tortoise as a pet, such as dressing them up, setting up a lemonade stand where the customers can buy lemonade and/or the opportunity to hold a tortoise, and so many other great things.
This book does a great job demonstrating that you just have to give things an opportunity before you make a judgment about them and that includes pets. While dogs and puppies offer unique opportunities, allergies and living situations may prevent people from being able to keep them, but there are great things you are able to do with other kinds of pets, even if they are different. I liked the illustration from K.G. Campbell and the way it was arranged within the text. Most importantly, though, the tortoise remained an enigma. We know the tortoise likes to eat and sleep, but while we can assume how we would feel having an owner like the young girl in this book, we cannot say for sure that the tortoise loathed their living situation. Nevertheless, the tortoise can be assured that they were being loved.
Quite a fun read!
tashrow's review
4.0
A little girl has been longing for a puppy for her entire life. She has lists of dog names, read about training, and dreamed about life with a puppy. So when she opens the box with holes in the top on her birthday, she is dismayed to discover a tortoise inside. Her father had told her he was allergic to dogs, but she had still dreamed of having one. Now she has a cold-blooded reptile. She has no ideas for names for him, so she doesn’t name him anything. She figures out that he can’t play fetch, does not like rolling over, doesn’t do many tricks, and doesn’t get excited when she returns home. Slowly though, she does figure out things that she can do with a tortoise, including selling turns holding it and painting its nails. When she tries playing hide-and-seek though, she discovers that tortoises are far too good at it. Now she is the owner of a lost tortoise. How will she ever find him again?
Keane has written a witty story that shows the natural progression of falling in love with a different kind of pet. The protagonist tells the story in her own voice, filled with righteous indignation at being given a reptile and then turning to grudging respect for what it can do, and finally becoming an expert on tortoises. The characters throughout the book are thoroughly realistic and human, from the father who mentions his allergy to no avail to the little girl and her friends as they try to find the hiding tortoise. The reactions and emotions here are honest and true, creating a book that is funny and heartfelt.
Campbell’s illustrations add so much to this picture book. The little girl’s pigtails show her emotions just as much as her face. They are perky when hopeful, limp when lonely, and almost stiff when angry. Using plenty of white space, the illustrations show both a loving family and a warm community where people are willing to line up for lemonade and a tortoise.
A dynamite picture book that is ideal for pet-themed story times or to introduce a new pet to a classroom or family. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Keane has written a witty story that shows the natural progression of falling in love with a different kind of pet. The protagonist tells the story in her own voice, filled with righteous indignation at being given a reptile and then turning to grudging respect for what it can do, and finally becoming an expert on tortoises. The characters throughout the book are thoroughly realistic and human, from the father who mentions his allergy to no avail to the little girl and her friends as they try to find the hiding tortoise. The reactions and emotions here are honest and true, creating a book that is funny and heartfelt.
Campbell’s illustrations add so much to this picture book. The little girl’s pigtails show her emotions just as much as her face. They are perky when hopeful, limp when lonely, and almost stiff when angry. Using plenty of white space, the illustrations show both a loving family and a warm community where people are willing to line up for lemonade and a tortoise.
A dynamite picture book that is ideal for pet-themed story times or to introduce a new pet to a classroom or family. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
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