The Box Turtle

by Vanessa Roeder

Overview

An irresistibly cute story about finding the confidence to be yourself, starring a turtle in search of the perfect shell.

Terrance the turtle was born without a shell, so he uses a cardboard box instead. Terrance loves his box. It keeps him dry on soggy days, safe from snooping strangers, and is big enough to cozy up with a friend. But when another turtle points out that Terrance's shell is, well, weird, he begins to wonder whether there might be a better shell out there...

Eventually, and through much trial and error, Terrance learns that there's nothing wrong with being different—especially when it comes to being yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735230507
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/11/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	84,612
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Vanessa Roeder is an author and illustrator whose work has been featured in Highlights magazine and on Apartment Therapy. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three kids.

Editorial Reviews

10/14/2019

Born without a shell, Terrance the box turtle happily makes due with a cardboard box that kept him “dry on the soggiest days,/ safe from the snoopiest strangers.” When a group of bullies call the carapace “weird,” Terrance promptly abandons it, venturing out in search of “something better.” Working digitally and in colored pencil and paint, Roeder (Lucy and the String) sweetly depicts the little green cherub as he peers from atop a slide and peeks inside a doghouse. He tries wearing a mailbox, but to his chagrin “it showed too much cheek.” A jack-in-the-box proves deeply alarming, and a cat box just “stunk.” When Terrance despairs, the little hermit crab who has quietly been at his side throughout magnanimously offers up its own small shell, prompting Terrance to realize that just as the crab is “more than just a shell,” so too is he. Lesson learned, Terrance labors with new friends to spruce up the old box to his liking, whatever the bullies might say. In Roeder’s skillful hands, the little box turtle offers an inarguable message about the power of friendship and the importance of working with what one has. Ages 3–5. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Parents. Best Children’s Books of 2020

"In Roeder’s skillful hands, the little box turtle offers an inarguable message about the power of friendship and the importance of working with what one has." —Publishers Weekly

"Roeder renders an adorable, rosy-cheeked (all four cheeks, when he’s going about shell-free) Terrance in colorful pencil and acrylics, bringing the cute along with plenty of laughs . . . A sweet, affirming message brings things together in the end." —Booklist

"Shelled or not, though, Terrance is an appealing figure, with gentle lines, a soft green color, and a cute little booty. Terrance’s makeover of his box may inspire youngsters to want to create a 'shell' for themselves, so have a few cardboard boxes and markers on hand for crafty turtle enthusiasts." —BCCB

"This suggested general purchase supports social-emotional learning with confidence building through awareness of the character’s uniqueness and ability to think 'out of the box.'" —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

03/01/2020

PreS-Gr 2—With the crack of his egg on the title page, Terrance the turtle hatches, but a turn of the page verifies that he's missing something important—a shell. His parents assure him he is "so much more than just a shell," and give him a substitute; Terrance is a now indeed a true "box" turtle. However, as Terrance grows, other box turtles pronounce his new box shell "weird," and now Terrance can only see it as "boring" or "bizarre," so the search begins for a better shell. Full-page art with the cartoon faces of Terrance and his faithful hermit crab pal highlight the affection between friends, while text separated by boxed illustrations indicates the search from one choice to the next. "Shell" discards are found—a mailbox, a hatbox, a Jack-in-the-box, a boom box, a lunch box, and even a kitty's litter box—but none match the little turtle's expectations. While time passes and the background light darkens with dawn silhouettes and rainy days, Terrance finds true friendship as he follows a path through the town to a shell just right for him. VERDICT This suggested general purchase supports social-emotional learning with confidence building through awareness of the character's uniqueness and ability to think "out of the box."—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2019-11-10
A young turtle's experiences with bullying and friendship lead him on a journey of self-acceptance.

When a pair of box-turtle parents discovers that their baby is born without a shell, they don't miss a beat. The loving parents "[give] him a name and a shell, both of which fit just right": Terrance, in a playful nod to his species, wears a cardboard box. Terrance is perfectly happy until a trio of bullies shame him for his unusual shell. Mortified, Terrance leaves the box behind to look for something beyond reproach. Hijinks ensue during Terrance's search for a new shell, which features the disrobed reptile and his anthropomorphic buttocks on full display. At every step of the determined turtle's quest, Terrance's unnamed hermit crab friend is there, supporting Terrance as he tries on box after box. After a roster of options (including a mailbox, a boombox, and a jack-in-the-box) are rejected for their slapstick effects, Terrance is downcast—until the hermit crab offers up their own tiny shell. This generous act of friendship inspires Terrance to return to his beloved cardboard box after all. Among a range of titles featuring a be-true-to-yourself message, this effort doesn't quite stack up. Aside from its overworked story, the idea that Terrance "[is] so much more than just his shell" implies that he does have an unfortunate attribute. Such a concept does little to challenge the biases of Terrance's bullies or the false notion that Terrance's shell is "definitely weird."

Sadly, there's not much to unpack in this box. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews