The Turtle and the Moon

This solitary turtle leads an idyllic life, slipping in and out of the water and sunning on dry rocks. But he realizes something is missing: a playmate. One night, he sees ``something so big and so round and so strange that he snapped at it.'' The moon--the cause of the turtle's bewilderment--goes behind a cloud, but is soon visible again, reflected in the water. The turtle is delighted with his new friend, just as readers will delight in this spunky creature's newfound joy. Mathis's illustrations, dark yet luminous, capture the rich tones of the vegetation around the brook. Her realistic style presents a touching evocation of nature--and its potential for loneliness. Aside from a stray butterfly, the turtle seems to dwell in total isolation--a plot device that reinforces the story's theme but misses out on an opportunity to provide information about food sources and ecological balance. Ages 4-7. (May)