Tudley Didn't Know

Tudley is a painted turtle that lives with the other turtles in a pond. A hummingbird drops a piece of nesting material, so he flies up to return it to her. No one has told him he can't fly. When a firefly needs help, Tudley lights his own tail to draw the attention of the others. No one has told him his tail doesn't glow. Tudley does lots of things turtles can't do because no one has told him he can't. He does them all to help others, but when Tudley needs help, will his new friends be able to help him? Illustrations in this book are both beautiful and fun. The story will capture a child's creative side and should get them thinking outside the box of what they think they can do. There is also a section in the back with scientific information on the creatures in the book as well as directions for making a whimsical hopping turtle. Armchair Interviews says: Delightful and amusing, this book is sure to be enjoyed by early elementary children as they learn about tiny creatures of the forest.

This beautifully-illustrated 870-word picture book features a young painted turtle called Tudley. Tudley surprises his fellow turtles by adopting the behaviors of other wildlife in the meadow and pond. While he is singing like the katydids, he loses his balance and falls from the tree. He lands upside down and can't turn over. His new friends try to help, but they finally have to go get other turtles to coach Tudley back to an upright position. I liked all the opportunities for children to learn about the habits of turtle, hummingbird, katydid, tadpole, frog and firefly. The For Creative Minds pages include information about the various wildlife and gives related activities which will extend the learning for young readers. I question the suspension of belief required for a child to believe a turtle could fly, etc. But the humor is wonderful and I think most children will go with it and be delighted.

A completely entertaining, modern fable about the power of believing we can.

My son loved this book! All he would talk about at the dinner table was that Tudley was scared of being all by himself. Now that we have returned the book to the library where I work he still askes if Tudley is scared and if we can read the "turtle book." I think this is so awesome. You see, he is 2, and the mind of a 2 year old is fasinating!

Written and illustrated by John Himmelman, Tudley Didn't Know is a charming picturebook about a painted turtle who, in seeming defiance of the laws of physics, adopts the behaviors of other animals simply because he doesn't know that he can't. He hovers like a hummingbird and hops like a frog. But when he gets into trouble, trapped on his back atop a tall pile of rocks, only his special abilities as a turtle can help him - abilities that he doesn't know about either, until his new friends explain! A supplementary section of fun facts about the animals featured in Tudley Didn't Know and a simple craft project for creating a Tudley of one's own round out this happy-go-lucky story.