Tiny Turtle's Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving Day, and what does Tiny Turtle have to be thankful for? Roast stinkbug, that's what. He doesn't like stinkbug, and these days, he doesn't even like being a turtle. He'd rather be an eagle. His parents give him the go-ahead, so Tiny makes some wings. He tries to fly off the riverbank, and gets soaked. He goes to a mountain top, and trips into an eagle's nest. He asks the little eagles to teach him a few things, but all they can do is to offer him a worm and suggest he wait for ""Mama.'' Mama doesn't ask any questions, just swoops Tiny up and dumps him back into the river. Those stinkbugs don't look so bad after all, and Tiny is one thankful turtle. Unfortunately, this unimaginative story has a flat-footed, predictable plot. But the phrase ``roast stinkbug'' is likely to provoke laughter from young readers, and the scene in which Tiny is forcibly removed from the eagle's nest is a funny one. That's not enough to prevent this story from falling prey to its own good intentions. (2-5)