Totty. Paola Opal. Vancouver, BC: Simply Read Books, 2009. 24 pp., board, $8.95. ISBN 978-1-897476-06-2. Preschool / Birth-age 3. Review by Kristen Ferguson. ***/4

excerpt:

The baby turtles break out of their eggs and dig, dig, dig up through the sand.

Totty is the last.

“Hurry up, Totty!”

 Totty tells the heartwarming tale of a baby sea turtle. Totty and his brothers and sisters have hatched from their eggs and have to make their way to the ocean. Totty is slower than his brothers and sisters and is struggling to keep up. Young children can relate to the fear of being left behind by older siblings and friends, as well as the familiar phrase, “Wait for me!” But even though Totty is not as fast as his brothers and sisters, he is a bright little turtle, and he notices how quickly a seashell slides down the sand pile towards the ocean. Realizing that he can slide by using the shell on his back, Totty ends up getting to the ocean before his siblings. Now it is his brothers and sisters who are telling Totty, “Wait for us!” to which Totty replies, “Of course” and “Follow me!”


     This board book tells a straightforward, yet relatable, story for young children. The illustrations, while simple, are colourful and are outlined in thick black lines which help grab the attention of infant to preschooler readers. Throughout the book, Opal uses vibrant onomatopoeic language, such as “swoosh,” “thump,” and “splash,” which makes reading the story aloud to children fun.


     Totty is a good addition to any book collection for children from birth to preschool age.

Recommended.

Kristen Ferguson teaches Language Arts at the Faculty of Education at Nipissing University and is a doctoral student in Education at York University. She is also a new mom, and her son Malcolm enjoyed this book very much!

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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