Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. In three short tales, neighbors Heron and Turtle figure out how to enjoy each other's company despite their significant physical differences. Turtle cannot keep up with long-legged Heron's walking pace, so they travel in a boat instead. When Heron joins Turtle for lunch, Turtle arranges his furniture to accommodate his friend's size. In the final story, they enjoy a summer evening at the pond together. The full-page illustrations, rendered in pen-and-ink and watercolor, portray a prim and proper Heron, dressed in a broad-brimmed hat and ruffled frock, which contrast with Turtle's casual ensemble of shorts, t-shirt, and baseball cap. Sweet but not cloying, tender but not sentimental, these pleasant stories focus on the adjustments that friends make to compensate for differences. --Linda Perkins Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As easy-to-read as a first chapter book, this full-sized picture book includes simple language, three short chapters, and two buddies in the title roles. The stories exude a quiet charm with language courtly and formal (" ?Good morning, Heron,' said Turtle. ?It is a beautiful day today. Would you like to go for a walk with me?'... ?But, friend Heron,' cried Turtle, ?you go too fast' "). The theme of each story emphasizes cooperation: when Turtle can't keep up with Heron's long legs, they decide to ride in Turtle's boat instead. When Heron visits Turtle, he takes a very long time to pile up benches to make Heron comfortable. When the two friends listen to beautiful nighttime noises, they remind each other that they are best friends. What the stories lack in drama, they make up for with beguiling illustrations. The affection the characters share emanates from Gorbechev's captivating pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations. Turtle wears a character-defining striped shirt and blue baseball cap while tall heron sports a Gone with the Wind ruffled dress with a polka-dot purple bow and matching wide-brimmed bonnet. Expressive minor characters appear throughout-young frogs gleefully jump off a pier, a contented beaver rows a boat in the moonlight-and the peaceful, loving tone will make the book appropriate for a bedtime story that ends with a hug. Ages 4-8. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Two close friends who are very different in size share three amiable adventures. In the first, the simple act of going for a walk in their bayoulike environment proves tricky when Heron's long legs carry her much farther than Turtle's short legs carry him. An agreeable solution is found when Turtle suggests that they ride together in his rowboat. Next, when Heron arrives for an unexpected visit at lunchtime, Turtle kindly builds a tall chair to make his guest comfortable. Finally, the two sit together by the lake and enjoy the sounds of a warm summer evening as well as the pleasure of one another's company. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations rely heavily on a green palette and clearly depict the characters in their idyllic setting. There are several humorous touches, such as a jamming jazz band made up of a raccoon, a rabbit, and a skunk, all wearing matching purple coats and black ties. A charming entry into the pantheon of "Frog and Toad" friendship stories.-Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
