TRUMAN
by Jean Reidy
Illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Picture Book
40 pages
ages 4 to 8
COMING...
JULY 9th, 2019!!!
After his best friend Sarah leaves for her first day of school, a tortoise named Truman goes on an adventure across the living room and learns to be brave in this thoughtful and heartwarming twist on a first experience story.
Truman the tortoise lives with his Sarah, high above the taxis and the trash trucks and the number eleven bus, which travels south. He never worries about the world below…until one day, when Sarah straps on a big backpack and does something Truman has never seen before. She boards the bus!
Truman waits for her to return.
He waits.
And waits.
And waits.
And when he can wait no longer, he knows what he must do.
Even if it seems…impossible!
MY TIDBITS
Truman is a small turtle, who enjoys his life with his owner/friend, Sarah. All is peaceful until one day he notices she behaves slightly different. When she gets on Bus 11, his peaceful world slowly turns to worry. Until he discovers a new trait, bravery, and decides to find Sarah on his own.
Truman is adorable! He holds the calmness and devotion of a true turtle in every way, but allows himself to grow as the situation requires. His bravery comes in little steps, and for him, this is exactly right. The vast, scary world hits in a way young readers will sympathize with...and Truman is the perfect character to take it on. It's easy to cheer for him, and his actions warm the heart. The ending opens up to a bright future, while staying as peaceful and calm as Truman...with perhaps, a tiny dab of possible adventure.
The illustrations carry the right amount of charm to let Truman do his thing. The reader is pulled into Truman's world with simplicity and the right amount of warmth and love. Young listeners will be able to 'read' the story to themselves by flipping through the illustrations and discover things they might have missed before along the way.
This is a sweet book with mounds of heart, which is sure to be read again and again and again.
And here they are...
The Author...
Jean Reidy once lived high above honking taxis, growling trash trucks, shrieking cars, and, of course, buses traveling in every direction. And she might like to again someday. But for now, she writes from her home in Colorado, right across the street from her neighborhood library, which she loves. Her fun, lively, and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages. Admittedly, she's never had a tortoise...but over the years she has resided with a not-so-well-behaved assortment of turtles, parakeets, lizards, goldfish, hamsters, and even one feisty fire-bellied toad. Visit Jean online at JeanReidy.com
The Illustrator...
Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, an illustrator, and an art director of children's books. Her debut picture book, A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals, was a finalist for the Governor General's Award, an Irma Black Honor Book, and an ALA Notable Book. She is also the illustrator of This Is Not a Valentine, written by Carter Higgins. She lives with her husband and son in Brooklyn, New York. Her favorite food is the french fry. Visit her online at LucyRuthCummins.com
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