  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 12/01/2015 PreS-Gr 2—A touching tribute to a compassionate and wise friend who dies, this tells the story of the beautiful sea creatures living in the deep and the challenges that they face. Life in the reef was made better for all of the sea creatures because of Old Turtle. He was a thoughtful friend and a skilled teacher. When disaster struck, Old Turtle was there to lend a helping hand and fix problems. He was an adventurer, an explorer, and a comedian, and he will be sorely missed. The day Old Turtle dies, his absence is felt by all. However, his legacy will live on forever. This is a wonderful reminder that each act of kindness that one commits has great impact on others. The deep blues, greens, and browns of the full-page digitally created illustrations take readers underwater for a sneak peek of life below the surface. Each situation introduced by the text becomes more vivid because of the rich colors and attention to detail. VERDICT A sweet and poignant story with multiple layers for delving deeper.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 01/01/2016 The author of Bedtime Is Canceled (2012) here takes a thoughtful look at death and the legacy of a life well lived. “In the end, on his very last day, Old Turtle swam his last swim and took his last breath. With his life complete, the gentle waves took him away.” What follows are fond remembrances of this tortoise by the marine animals that knew him best. He taught young turtles to swim, kept a lonely humpback whale company, played with sea otters, shared buried treasure with dolphins, carried a starfish home, and freed a manatee from a net. All conclude they will miss their friend but remember him fondly. Jago’s lush digital artwork favors the greens and blues of the sea (with bright oranges for accents) and is well suited to Meng’s pensive text. Similar in tone to Bryan Mellonie’s Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children (1983) or Susan Varley’s Badger’s Parting Gifts (1984), this makes a comforting choice for families dealing with loss. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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