Hudson, Neesha. Turtle in a Tree. Dial Books for Young Readers. 978-0-593-32331-1. 36 p. $17.99. Grades K-3. 

A dog walking through a grassy meadow hears a rustling in a tree. Another dog comes along and asks what he sees. The first dog replies that he’s sure he sees a turtle in a tree. The second dog asserts that there can’t be a turtle in a tree – that just doesn’t add up. It must be a squirrel. The dogs banter back and forth, but eventually, they get caught up in a shouting match, each sure that he is correct. When what’s in the tree is ultimately revealed, both dogs realize that there is more than one side to every story. Delicate watercolor and colored pencil illustrations stand out against white backgrounds, and the sparse text leaves plenty of room for readers to add their own ideas to the book.

THOUGHTS: The overarching message of the book is about perspective and the idea that just because you don’t see eye-to-eye with someone doesn’t mean one of you is wrong. This book can be used during morning meetings to spark conversations about different perspectives and why it can be valuable to consider others’ points of view. 

Picture Book          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD