The Town of Turtle

Starred review from February 19, 2018
Turtle lives on his own planet in the middle of a lonely galaxy. With only his shadow to talk to, he decides “to make some renovations to his shell.” Chien’s dreamlike mixed-media images move from grays to bright colors as Turtle
imagines a village of houses that she draws with wobbly splashes of lime, lavender, and fuchsia. Back in the waking world, Turtle orders paint, builds a deck, and installs a fireplace, garden, and pond atop his shell, and soon there’s a library and ice rink, too. They’re all rendered in expressionist spreads, drawn not for laughs but with a sense of wonder. Turtle’s tower of creations teeters precariously above his planet, and soon everybody wants to visit. A giraffe, a whale in a mobile aquarium, a painter, a sailor, and others move in, and an exuberant vertical gatefold celebrates the new community, where all seems possible and every living thing is welcome. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

January 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Turtle is a dreamer, a deep thinker, and is somewhat particular. In choosing a color to freshen his walls, he contemplates the best green to match: "Not as bright as grass or lily shoot. But also not as dark as evergreen, or, say, envy." To use the leftover paint, he adds a deck to the exterior. As often happens in decorating, one thing leads to another. He imagines inviting neighbors to toast marshmallows, so he needs a fireplace. That necessitates wood, requiring trees. Soon there is a library, skating rink, and wax museum. Chien's ever-transforming acrylic, pencil, and collage compositions are well suited to the protagonist's fanciful vision. While Turtle's world starts in darkness, he is eventually constructing under a sky dotted with O'Keeffe-like clouds and gliding past lily pads in a pond worthy of Monet. While resting, his dreams about friends moving to town are rendered in vivid bursts of expressionistic forms. A gatefold opening reveals the vertical city in all its resplendent glory. Washed in blue, the denouement reveals cozy bedtime rituals. Perhaps that's what Turtle wanted all along-someone to call to in the dark. VERDICT Elegant language, childlike logic, and enthralling art invite readers into a marvelous community.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
A solitary turtle creates a community atop his shell.According to the lyrical text, "Turtle lived in a part of the world as empty as a bird's nest in December." The accompanying double-page illustration, created in acrylic, paper, and pencil collage, shows a small gray planet, about 10 times larger than the turtle perched on it, floating in a dark sky surrounded by a sea of stars. With only his shadow to talk to, Turtle is lonely. He spends most of his time inside his shell, dreaming of a happier life. Having pictured a "better home," he resolves to build it. Across several pages, Turtle (somewhat disconcertingly) slips out of his shell to paint, construct, and expand an elaborate environment on it. Blocky shapes, occasional splashes of vivid color, and unusual juxtapositions create a dreamlike quality that suits the fanciful premise. As he rests from his labors, new residents appear. "A painter, a sailor, and a ballerina came first." These anthropomorphic animals are followed by an array of others representing an eclectic variety of occupations. A gatefold that requires a 90-degree turn of the book shows Turtle's delight when he wakes to discover the town atop his shell is inhabited, but the resolution may seem less than satisfying since the turtle and the new arrivals don't truly interact.Though thoughtful, thought-provoking, and filled with engaging language, this allegorical tale may struggle to find an appreciative audience. (Picture book. 4-7)

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January 1, 2019
A turtle living alone in a grim part of the world dreams of "a better home," so he renovates his shell, then adds on top a garden, which calls for houses, and so on. Rendered in acrylic, pencil, and paper collage, many of Chien's abstract compositions are stunning, but with such a marvelously inventive premise, the story would have benefited from easier-to-decipher art.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)