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A review by kindredbooks
Rodney Was a Tortoise by Nan Forler
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
I received a copy of Rodney was a Tortoise by Nan Forler and illustrated by Yong Ling Kang from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.
Rodney was a Tortoise is a beautiful and touching story about Bernadette and her pet tortoise, Rodney. The two are best friends but Rodney slowly starts to fade as he gets older and older. When he dies, Bernadette is inconsolable as she watches the rest of the world move on. She, however, is unable to move on and retreats within herself as no one seems to notice or care that her best friend is gone. Until a friend from school, Amar, reaches out to show that he remembers Rodney and that he once had a budgie named Samuel. This is sure to be a moving story that touches upon such a sensitive topic especially for young children who may also be learning about death through their loved pets.
There are not a lot of picture books that deal with grief and Rodney was a Tortoise touches upon this topic in a beautiful, moving, and sensitive way. It focuses on the joy that friendships can bring to one's life - and also the ways that grief may affect a young individual.
Rodney was a Tortoise is a beautiful and touching story about Bernadette and her pet tortoise, Rodney. The two are best friends but Rodney slowly starts to fade as he gets older and older. When he dies, Bernadette is inconsolable as she watches the rest of the world move on. She, however, is unable to move on and retreats within herself as no one seems to notice or care that her best friend is gone. Until a friend from school, Amar, reaches out to show that he remembers Rodney and that he once had a budgie named Samuel. This is sure to be a moving story that touches upon such a sensitive topic especially for young children who may also be learning about death through their loved pets.
There are not a lot of picture books that deal with grief and Rodney was a Tortoise touches upon this topic in a beautiful, moving, and sensitive way. It focuses on the joy that friendships can bring to one's life - and also the ways that grief may affect a young individual.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Grief