It starts in late June for us. The department stores start to display their back-to-school supplies, I’ll jokingly call it my favorite time of year, and my kids will roll their eyes in dad joke disdain. There’s also a wave of books that come out to comfort kids as to the new schedules, expectations and routines that many of them will experience for the first time. Puppy Bus is a silly picture book that pokes fun at the changes or new routines that those younger ages will go through by imagining that the human student gets on the dog school bus.
I spent most of the 2022 school year in a classroom where “Yet” was in large poster board letters on the wall. Then surrounding that word were several short statements encouraging students like “I can’t do that”, which led directly to that large word. ThePower of Yet is a picture book by Maryann Cocca-Leffler for pre-K through second graders that primes them to the power of that simple, three-letter word.
Turtles, hermit crabs, rabbits and hamsters are what I call, fringe pets. Granted they are domesticated animals, but they’re way down in the pecking order of pets. Either due to space or one of the parents putting the kibosh on getting a kitten, these are the pets that you’ll remember from your childhood. I was right there with you as I had rabbits and a crow. Yes, a crow. Truman, however, is a turtle and his human is Sarah. She’s about to start going to kindergarten this is story is about how Truman handles it.
Bravery, independence and being excited about new
experiences all happen on a two-way street. Sarah is somewhat of a solitary
kid. She’s not a two-legged, shell-less version of a turtle, but there are some
similarities. They’re both a little shy
and are both about to embark on a paradigm shift to their lifestyle.
Until now, it’s just been Sarah and Truman all day. She’d feed him seven green beans each day. He would lie on the floor while she colored and life was simple, slow and just the two of them. One day she gives him two extra beans, reminds him to be brave and closes the door. This of course, freaks out Truman out because her backpack, she’s dressed up more than usual and she was a tense (she’s never tense)-something is wrong.
This leads Truman to go on a mighty quest to investigate
what’s the problem with her today. Alas, Truman is in a glass container (as all
good turtles are) and sometimes just getting from the piece of lettuce to the
water can be challenging. What is a concerned turtle to do?
Be brave and explore things that you’re uncomfortable with, that’s the answer. That is just what Truman does. From a turtle’s perspective we see him explore, as much as he’s able to, on his rescue mission to see what’s become of Sarah.
Truman works on so many levels as a children’s illustrated
book. First up the art is immediately appealing. The vantage points that Truman
sees and the emotions that his little turtle face convey will hook young
readers. It hooked me and I’m far older than a young reader. The art is also
great for this book. Some pages are corner to corner with color and landscape.
Other pages are sparse and illustrate how big the room is relative to the
Truman. The one constant is that the colors in the book are the colors. The colors
are bright, with a slight retro hue that will remind older readers (me) of
comic strips in the Sunday newspaper. However, they have that timeless vibe
that will bring in elementary school readers.
Truman is a great, illustrated book with a timeless feel. It’s got lessons for anyone and will appeal to boys or girls aged 5 and up. Those in early through middle elementary will laugh at his adventures and those younger ones will relate to the new, scary experiences, like pre-K or kindergarten.
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