With a story from I Don’t Want to Be a Frog author Dev Petty and hilarious graphic novel–style illustrations from Ruth Chan, the picture book How Old Is Mr. Tortoise? will have readers guessing the answer from beginning to end.
It’s Mr. Tortoise’s birthday, and he can’t wait to eat cake with his friends. But there’s a hitch! Mr. Tortoise can’t remember how old he is, so his friends don’t know how many candles to put on the cake. And they won’t stop (or slice) until they figure out the mystery.
Could Mr. Tortoise be as many years old as there are sections on his shell? He’s twice as big as the smaller tortoise . . . so is he twice as old? After the partygoers work through a variety of possibilities, they find their way to the answer with a simple bit of addition.
“a funny and loving salute to friendship, critical thinking, longevity, and cake.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Praise
**STARRED REVIEW**Publishers Weekly
"'HOORAY, CAKE!' says Mr. Tortoise. And hooray for Petty and Chan, whose comic hearts beat as one in this impeccably paced story told in graphic novel panels. With deadpan dialogue and endearingly goofy character-focused art, they’ve created a funny and loving salute to friendship, critical thinking, longevity, and cake."
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"Striking the right balance between joyful irreverence and absurd, quirky humor, this provides obvious opportunities both in storytime and classrooms, as the animal pals bring liveliness to a stealthy math lesson. Layout is used effectively, with initial panels that provide structure, then alternate with full spreads that emphasize the humor and whimsy of the story."The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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"Mr. Tortoise’s emotions, which range from excited to thoughtful to confused to triumphant, dance across his face from panel to panel, and his friends are vibrant with enthusiasm. . .Anyone who’s ever had to wait for a treat will empathize."The Horn Book Magazine
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