cover image Tricky Tortoise

Tricky Tortoise

Mwenye Hadithi, Mwenye. Little Brown and Company, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-316-33724-3

In a splendid jungle setting, a lowly tortoise proveswith the help of a friendthat might does not always make right. A pompous elephant believes that he is the most important animal in the jungle because of his size and power. But because his magnificence has gone to his head, he is blatant in his disregard for the smaller animals, particularly the tortoise, whom he has stepped on 332 times. Tired of constantly patching his cracked shell, the tortoise challenges the elephant by making him think that he can jump over the mammoth creature's ``silly, little head.'' This story has all the elements of a timeless fable: the animals are highly individualized characters and Hadithi makes excellent use of their differences. The meticulously orchestrated timing of the text is maintained in the pictures. By skillfully manipulating light and dark, Kennaway creates beautiful contrasts; the intensity of color is exceedingly rich and the use of bold shapes and textures is accomplished. Ages 3-8. (Oct.)