cover image Turtle Knows Your Name

Turtle Knows Your Name

Ashley Bryan. Atheneum Books, $14.95 (30pp) ISBN 978-0-689-31578-7

``Upsilimana Tumpalerado, / That's my name. / I took my time to learn it, / Won't you do the same?'' is the song of a boy, performing the name dance with Granny by the edge of the sea. While they dance, Turtle learns the boy's name, as he is the keeper of names. After Upsilimana Tumpalerado is unable to make friends with the other children or the animals, Granny challenges him to find out her true name. Turtle is the one who reveals it; her real name is even longer than the boy's, and she and her grandson agree on simpler appellations hence. With the funny names, abundant dialogue and animal noises, Bryan's lively retelling of this English Antillean story is well-suited to reading out loud. The festive paintings are a visual treat, complementing the text with jewel-like colors and fluid lines. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)