Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise [Hardcover]

Candace Fleming (Author), Anne Wilsdorf (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

I have always longed for the quiet life. So begins Sunny Boy’s tale. As a young tortoise, he enjoys a peaceful life – inhaling the sweet smell of orchids, reciting Latin, licking stamps – year after quiet year. But fate twists, and our hero falls into the hands of Biff the Brave, an accident-prone performer of daredevil deeds. When Biff attempts his most dangerous stunt – going over Niagara Falls in a barrel – the shy and retiring Sunny Boy is suddenly swept into history’s limelight. This wild, funny tale is based on the story of an actual tortoise who went over the falls. Exuberant watercolors full of witty details add to this celebration of the adventurous spirit that resides in us all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Inspired by an actual event, this saga makes for wildly entertaining reading. Sunny Boy is a self-described placid personality who longs …for the quiet life. Fate unkindly snatches the young tortoise from his peaceable kingdom for the nefarious purpose of sending him …bound for the soup pots of New York City's finest restaurants! A funny thing happens, though, on the way to his demise, when he is ejected from his carrying box onto the table of an unsuspecting diner at a sidewalk café. Thus begins the terrapin's long association with the male line of the gentleman's family. Because of Sunny Boy's great longevity, he lives with his savior for a time and then is passed down to three generations of nephews, finally landing with Biff the brave. Unlike his predecessors, Biff is an adventurer and a daredevil. With extreme trepidation, the tortoise becomes involved with the fellow's perilous pursuits, ending with a stunt involving a barrel and Niagara Falls. All's well that ends well as Sunny Boy discovers the fascination of an occasional walk on the wild side when balanced with calmer pastimes. This rollicking romp represents a wonderful marriage of text and illustration. The comical cartoon narrative, somewhat reminiscent of Quentin Blake's work, enhances the textual flow of the story. Not to be missed is the author's fascinating historical note describing the basis for this somewhat tall tale. Wacky and sure to elicit a giggle, this one is a winner.–Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Sunny Boy the tortoise wanted only to live a long, quiet life, but fate intervened: Pelonius Pimplewhite, a horticulturist, took him home. When the scientist died, Sunny Boy went to live with Pelonius' nephew, Cornelius. Later, he lived with Cornelius' nephew, Augustus, and finally, Augustus' nephew, Biff, a self-proclaimed daredevil. Unfortunately, Biff fizzles as a human cannonball and flops as a wing walker. Determined to try one last stunt, Biff roars off to Niagara Falls and builds a barrel for going over the falls. Just as the lid is closing, someone tosses Sunny Boy inside, and man and beast have the wildest ride of their lives. The energetic cartoon artwork combines foolhardiness with fun, and an author's note, "The Truth behind the Tale," discusses the real-life incident on which this book is based. Kids won't necessarily care about the facts, but they will whoop over the silliness and derring-do. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (July 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374372977
• ISBN-13: 978-0374372972
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,733,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sunny Boy is AWESOME!!, December 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise (Hardcover)

Sunny Boy is an amazing book! It lets you visualize things beyond your imagination. Its about a tortoise that loves to lay in the sun. Then he goes to live with Mr.Pimplewhite. After that he goes and does all this amazing stuff! He does so many things in his life that I want to do in mine. I suggest that you get to a library or some place that has bboks and get started on reading Sunny Boy right now. Even thuogh the story isn't very long it is still a great book that I think you should read.If I like it then I know that you will love it. After I read it once I thought it was so good that I read it again and again. It gets better and better every time I read it.