From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-Bartleby is a red-eared turtle, a pet living in a bowl in a house full of rambunctious brothers. His adventure begins when the youngest boy thoughtlessly throws him into a nearby pond for a swim. He quickly learns which of the other pond dwellers are his friends. The only enigma is the alligator, Seezer, another discarded pet that longs for its natural home, the mighty Mississippi River. "We had many ssscrumptious red-ears near my nest [back home]-" threatens the menacing lizard. Yet, the creature is intrigued when, in order to save himself, Bartleby pretends to know the way to the Mississippi. An unlikely pair, Bartleby and Seezer set out together, and though there are many close calls, the determined little turtle ultimately gets them to a river that leads to their destination. Shalant's novel is a sweet, warm allegory about the pains of growing up. Bartleby struggles with staying away from his humans and feels the pain of heartache when they seem to abandon him. A gentle story with an ethical and likable main character dealing with his own uniqueness.
Judith Everitt, Orchard Hill Elementary School, Skillman, NJ Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Gr. 4^-6, younger for reading aloud. Shalant introduces a four-legged hero with the right stuff: a small turtle with outsized funds of courage and resourcefulness. When his five-year-old human tormentor suddenly chucks him into a pond, Bartleby decides to head to the Mississippi, sparked by a glimpse on TV of other red-eared turtles along its shores. Shalant surrounds Bartleby with allies for his journey--Mother Wak the duck; Zip, a peeper who speaks in rhyme; and Seezer, a menacing ex-pet alligator with a yen to get back to his Mississippi home. Armed with a tough shell, a knack for making friends, and a real gift for fast talk, Bartleby survives repeated encounters with predators, meanwhile discovering a new sense of self-worth. Although the story ends with the long journey barely begun, there can be no doubt at all that the animals will make it. Tiny, tough, loyal, and canny, Bartleby is easily the most redoubtable animal character down the pike since Avi's Poppy.
John PetersCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
