Tortuous Tortoise Travels! (Tortuga - Paul Geraghty)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Tortuga - Paul Geraghty
Date:	25/04/04 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely pictures., Endearing main character, Happy Ending!

Disadvantages: A couple of tear jerking moments.

At the moment Chesterfield Library is closed to the public because of major refurbishment work. This means the staff have to go into a building site every morning to move shelves, books and furniture. It also gives us the opportunity to do some stock and repair work, as well as to take a look at the children?s books as we move them out of the way for the scaffolding to be erected. I was sorting through some picture books and found a lovely one that I would like to share with you. This book is Tortuga and it is written and illustrated by Paul Geraghty.

~~~THE AUTHOR.

Paul Geraghty was born in South Africa in 1959. He started drawing and writing stories, based on the animals he saw around him and on his favourite subject ~ the Second World War. After completing a degree in Fine Art and English he worked as a painter, teacher and a copywriter, before moving to the UK in 1986. Geraghty writes and illustrates books for teenagers and also produces picture books for younger children. He can also be seen in schools, libraries, etc hosting writing workshops and giving talks about his work.

He also wins and gets nominated for awards for his work ~ His book The Hunter was short listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration, and won the Earthworm Award, Solo was awarded the Children's Book Award, his first novel Pig won the Longmans Young Africa Award, and Tortuga (the subject of this review) won the Prix de la Ville de Cherbourg-Octeville.

If you like Tortuga you may want to seek out some more of Paul Geraghty's books:
Cat lovers may like Slobcat and everyone will love Hoppameleon (about a tree frog) and Solo (about a sweet little penguin).


~~~WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Tortuga is all about a Tortoise! She is heavy with eggs and looking for a place to lay them. There is a heavy storm and poor Tortuga is washed out to sea, where she floats on until she is washed ashore on a tropical island. Tortuga fin
ds she is all alone and lays her eggs on the shoreline. Unfortunately seagulls steal her eggs and she sets off, scared and unsure of her future, to find a mate.

As she walks and explores she convinces herself that she is all alone and that she will never see another tortoise again. Tortuga looks around this strange green island and discovers that it is full of plants and creatures that are unfamiliar to her. The lonely tortoise searches in vain and finally returns to the site on which she laid her eggs. As she nears the beach she sees footprints in the sand ~ what do they belong to?

The ending is lovely and really brings a smile to your face!

~~~WHAT DO I THINK?

Some children's books are educational AND lovely to look at. Tortuga fits this bill! Not only is it beautifully illustrated it is also a good educational resource for younger children. In a gentle and fun way they will learn about loss and survival ~ they will also find out about different species and how the environment sustains and renews itself. Tortuga will promote discussion about how animals travel and establish new colonies on new islands, new territories and continents too.

Geraghty's pictures are gorgeous and his story flows along nicely. His experiences of seeing wildlife in Africa make his illustrations seem very real. The colours are bright and fresh, but there is also a lovely softness in them. The island is green and the flowers are bright ~ this contrasts from the greyness of the sea and the harshness of the wind and rain when the tortoise is being washed out to see.

Re-reading will not dull the appeal of this book either ~ each time you look at the pictures you (and your child) will see new things to talk about and you may find yourself learning more about the flora and fauna to answer questions from inquisitive youngsters! The words, however, are actually secondary to the story that is provided by the images ~ it is from these th
at the true nature of the adventure is played out! The language used is simple, easy to follow and uses nothing that will confuse young children.

You may think that it would be difficult to portray a tortoise as a sympathetic and emotional character, but Geraghty manages this well. He manages to maintain the realism (he doesn't try to "humanize" Tortuga) while still encouraging the reader to identify and "feel? the loneliness experienced by the eponymous hero. The only time a child may become a little worried is when the seagulls attack and eat the eggs. This is only a minor part of the story and the "feel good" factor is re-established as Tortuga explores the island. The ending offers reassurance and will make a child feel happy and relaxed if used as a bedtime story.

All in all this is an enchanting picture book that I'm sure would become a favourite of any toddler. It will also last well, becoming a story that they will want to look at on their own as reading skills improve. It is a picture book that will appeal to both boys and girls and will also be quite interesting for adults (even if you have to read it out LOTS of times!). I'm very glad that I spotted it in the picture book pile and I have sidelined it ready for a Storytime in the future.

Tortuga is beautiful, interesting and a lovely addition to any child's book collection.

~~~BOOK DETAILS.

? Paperback 32 pages (November 1, 2001)
? Publisher: Red Fox
? ISBN: 0099400863
Currently £4.99 on Amazon.

? Hardcover 32 pages (March 2, 2000)
? Publisher: Hutchinson Children's Books
? ISBN: 0091768845
Currently £9.99 on Amazon

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