  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2012 PreS-Gr 3—Mossy, an eastern box turtle, lives in the deep shade of Lilypad Pond, and the moss growing on her carapace offers fertile ground for a variety of plants. The garden on her back draws the attention of a local naturalist who takes the oddity to her museum as a living display. Mossy, unhappy and missing her home (as well as her special turtle friend), is returned to the wild after her portrait is painted for a happy ending all around. The sweet, simply written story reiterates an important message of respect for the environment. But this is a book by Jan Brett, so the watercolor and gouache illustrations trump the narrative in the storytelling. Here, the artist's familiar borders hold a field guide's worth of expert paintings: butterflies, mosses, fungi, wildflowers, orchids, feathers, crystals, shells, insects, fossils, and seeds. They frame each spread, and detailed illustrations follow the text and include predictive medallions that introduce characters or secondary plot details. Labeling the small drawings would have increased the curricular use of the title, but this omission does not detract from the book's overall value. Mossy is a beauty.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 08/01/2012 The beauty of the natural world and all its magnificent variations shine through in this gentle ecological tale set in the Edwardian era. Mossy, an eastern box turtle, spends so much time in the damp confines of Lilypad Pond that moss begins to grow on top of her shell. Before long, ferns, too, begin to sprout, then flowers, until the reptile is a walking garden. Male turtle Scoot spots Mossy near the pond, but before the pair can meet, she is scooped up by a museum curator. The unusual turtle is put on exhibit at a local museum until the visiting children wisely point out that she would be happier in her natural home. Brett’s lush, elaborately detailed nature scenes dazzle the eye, and feature insets and borders offering a veritable catalog of the natural world, from various types of butterflies, feathers, and beetles to rocks and geodes, fossils, and more. Lovely to look at and there’s something to learn here, too. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Brett’s distinctive use of detail in such popular works as The Mitten (1989) and The Hat (1997) has earned her boatloads of fans, so expect a big turnout. - Copyright 2012 Booklist. Loading...
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