The Town of Turtle, written by Michelle Cuevas, reviewed by Anneliese White

Summary: Turtle lives in a lonely world, all alone, by himself with just his shadow. Although sad, he dreams of a better home and world, and decides to make the changes himself. He starts with a fresh coat of colorful paint, creating beautiful artwork in his shell. Then he adds plants and greenery, a deck, a fireplace, and a bigger home. Before you know it, Turtle has expanded his renovations to beautifying the world with gardens and additional homes. When he lays down to take a nap out of exhaustion, he wakes up to a beautiful surprise.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Purchase this book. It has so many amazing themes to talk about with students. It has an overall theme of making your space and your world beautiful, not because you should or it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes everyone’s world brighter and better. Inclusiveness is another important theme, as Turtle is a very lonely character, but wants to make renovations in hopes that other people will find beauty in his home too, and stay and be his friend. The Town of Turtle also reflects on environmental issues, of gardening and taking care of our Earth. It is a heartwarming read, with AMAZING illustrations, that all kids will love and want to check out.