Scoot! Book

While their neighbors in the pond . . .

leap! lurch! scamper! and splash!

six silent turtles sit still as stones.

Will the turtles ever move?

Read this book and find out.

What are you waiting for?

Scoot!

Children's Literature

Six silent turtles down at the pond "sit still as stones" while all around them the other creatures are in constant movement; they leap and creep, perch and lurch. Alternating with the double page rhyming actions of frogs, herons, wood ducks, and many others, the double page of the turtles shows them remaining silent and still. From spider to chipmunk all the creatures move until "strong winds blow Pond waves grow." Then "the six startled turtles suddenly speed away." Paper collage constructs the streams, rocks, trees, and assorted characters with naturalistic thought. Falwell also pays considerable attention to the esthetic presentation by varying the points of view and choosing colors and positioning objects to move the eye across and through the scenes pleasantly and gently. The few words printed in two sizes go with the flow, integrated into the page design. Many animate and inanimate objects contribute texture and information to the visual tale. There are also two pages of notes about what the author wishes to call to our attention to from her walk near Frog Song Pond, plus instructions about how to print textures using common objects. Reviewer: Ken and Sylvia Marantz