There’s some clunky, awkward phrasing here and there but the art is good and the moral is much needed and fairly radical. It could do without the tedious reader’s note at the end, especially given that I don’t think that this is nearly as strong a parable about equity as the note seems to think it is.

"What works for one, should work for all."

The Littlest Turtle is absolutely adorable! It tackles sharing and fairness. The story begins by explaining how the biggest turtles assist the little turtles during mealtime. They let the little turtles stand on their shells while they pick and eat the freshest berries. The big turtles eat the sour smooshed berries on the ground. Once the big turtles become dissatisfied with eating the less than appetizing berries, Little Turtle begins challenging the status quo by being an ally to the big turtles.

Not only does Little Turtle demonstrate the need for change with her words, but with her actions. Change isn't always easy, especially for the group that benefits from "the way things are and always have been". As Dumbledore wisely says, "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”

The "Readers Note" is a great resource for parents that want to expand upon the lesson of The Littlest Turtle. The illustrations really enhance the story. I highly recommend this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A lesson in problem-solving, empathy, and thoughtfulness, the Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady is a simple look at the way we treat those around us, regardless of the way something has "always been." The big turtles and little turtles look at the way they get berries, and the way certain turtles are left out, and the littlest turtle decides to do something about it. I enjoyed the colorful patterns of the various turtles (repeated on the lovely endpapers) and the bright berries. The illustrations are engaging and fun and the story is interesting enough to allow for a discussion on how to solve problems and make change. In the end, I'd have appreciated if the littlest turtle had solved the problem without staging a small revolt, but things worked out! Life isn't fair, and it's a smidge unfair to leave children with that impression, but the story does a great job of helping children look at an unfair situation with understanding and a desire to make things better for other people. "What always was shouldn't always be, when you take the time to see things differently."

“Even the smallest can help make the biggest change.”
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This book could be used to teach several lessons
-inclusion
-fighting for a cause
-working together
-doing what’s right
and so on.
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I honestly think the real star of the show is the illustrations. Absolutely adorable.
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The Littlest Turtle's bright colors and straight forward text will appeal to students between 4 and 12. It is a book that should spark lively classroom discussions. The additional notes at the end are a good resource for the adults - teacher or parent - who are using this book.

This book had cute illustrations but was a bit all over the place. It’s clearly about inclusion but for the audience it’s directed at, it didn’t work. This was hard to follow and wasn’t very intriguing.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a perfect book for my turtle obsessed 3 year old.
Focusing on teamwork, sharing and empathy towards our friends. The graphics are cute and the message is perfect for little readers to understand- change is important too.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e copy of “ The Littlest Turtle” by Lisa Mullady in exchange for a honest review..This book is perfect for preschoolers where sharing and empathy are difficult concepts to understand.This book tells the story of a group of turtles where the littlest turtles climb on the backs of the bigger turtles to eat the freshest and juiciest berries in the brambles.The bigger turtles are left to eat the rotten berries that have fallen to the ground.The bigger turtles get mad since they never get any juicy berries..One of the little turtles realizes this isn’t fair and changes things by getting the other little turtles to pick the best berries and sharing them with the bigger turtles.I really loved this book because sharing and empathy are two concepts that young children find hard to understand and accept and this is a perfect book to teach these concepts.

The Littlest Turtle
4.5 Stars

The Littlest Turtle teaches children to speak up, use their voice, and can teach people how to work through their differences. Little turtle overhears the bigger turtles complaining about not receiving the same fresh fruit as their smaller counterparts. This injustice becomes a catalyst for change.

The illustrations are fun and bright. My daughter really enjoyed the texture in the artwork. I loved the reader notes! It's on the back of the book. It would be nice if more books, including a book guide. There's several teachable lessons: empathy, differences between equality and equity, finding your voice and everyone is different. It acts as a guide that parents can use to continue the conversation.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's fantastic! This would be a great book for teachers, in classrooms and libraries (this book covers multiple lessons). Or it could be used by parents to start a difficult conversation with their kids.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have ALWAYS loved turtles so I was immediately drawn to this cover. My son, who is 4, also loves turtles/animals and I knew he would enjoy it too. This book is so cute, and the illustrations are great. A perfect book for kids!

The Littlest Turtle is a great story to introduce equity to children. The story, told with accessible text and fun illustrations, helps the reader see how working together and questions what has always been done can create a better situation for all. The story is engaging for younger readers. But it would also be a great picture book to share with older kids interested in social justice issues. Classroom teachers could use this book to introduce a unit on many social justice themes. The back matter does an excellent job of outlining the difference between equality and equity. It also highlights the importance of action in citizenship. My one concern is the repeating statement, "What works for one, should work for all," since this reinforces the idea of equality more than equity. Despite this, I would still recommend this book for classrooms and libraries.

The littlest turtle comes to us from imagination press, which is a division of the American psychological association. This book is fantastic. Every day when all the turtles go to eat, the big turtles, eat what is on the ground and the little turtles climb on top of the big turtles to get to the fresh ripe fruit in the bushes and trees. The big turtles are tired of always eating what’s on the ground because it’s usually sour and semi rotten. But the little turtles don’t seem to notice that there is a problem because this is the way it has always been done. But the littlest turtle says okay I understand what you’re saying. The littlest turtle has empathy. The big turtles hatch a plan to show everybody else that they to deserve the freshest type of berries. They put their plan into action. A lesson is learned and new models are created. This book is very much up an allegory for modern society. Just because things are the way they’ve always been doesn’t mean they are right. What is good for one should be good for all. No one should be at the bottom of the pile. No one should be less than anyone else. This book makes the statement in such an easy to understand concept for any age, child or adult. You add on top of that the fantastic artwork, and this is a killer book that will stay on shelves and be used for many years to come.

Silly book about a turtle making change. Very obvious in it's objective. Good for teaching inclusion.

I received a digital copy of "The Littlest Turtle" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Embarking on a journey through the vibrant pages of "The Littlest Turtle" introduces readers to a courageous young character who sets out on a significant quest for equality. This children's book, while beautifully illustrated and replete with a relevant message, presents some textual challenges that might confound its younger audience.

The book's visual appeal is one of its undeniable strengths. It is packed with charming and fun illustrations that stir up a sense of whimsy and wonder.

The heart of the book, lies in its central message. The littlest turtle discovers that the bigger turtles aren't receiving the same fresh fruit as their smaller counterparts. This injustice becomes the catalyst for the little turtle's journey, sparking a desire to stand against unfairness and strive for equality. This theme of standing against injustice and advocating for equality is both pertinent and timeless, offering children a vital lesson to carry forward into their lives.

However, the book's key drawback lies in its textual complexity. Certain passages proved confusing for my five-year-old daughter, obscuring rather than enlightening the story's central metaphor.

Despite this, "The Littlest Turtle" is a commendable effort, with enchanting illustrations and a powerful message at its core. It may need some parental involvement to untangle the metaphoric complexities, but the overall intention remains clear.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own :)

Big turtles let tiny turtles crawl on top to feed on the freshest, nicest berries while big turtles feed on the berries left on the ground. That’s just the way things are! Littlest turtle notices how this makes the big turtles feel, and says “this isn’t fair!” But there’s no reason to change what works… right?

This book is very kind and patient, as it points out that just because this is the way it’s always been 1). Doesn’t make it right and 2). Doesn’t mean that change can’t benefit us all.

I loved this story and its delivery. I think it was well thought out, to present a neutral setting so that people of all differences can understand. I think the reader’s note at the back of the book helps to set up parents and teachers for Big conversations about equality and equity, and how parents can listen to what children are saying.

I am a huge fan of this book. 100% approve.

The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady uses adorable pictures illustrated by Erica Salcedo and tells an inspirational story that teaches children to use their voice as they work through differences and seek the good for all.

The story starts off by sharing the tradition a bale of turtles of all shapes and sizes shares each day of working together to gather and eat fruit for their meals. The turtles have acted in the same way, year after year to reach the fruit. The big turtles brace the bottom, while the tiny turtles climb on top to reach the freshest fruit. Since the largest turtles were near the ground, they fed on the fallen berries. One day, the littlest turtle overhears the big turtles expressing their feelings, wishing they too could enjoy the freshest berries the little turtles were able to enjoy by climbing on top of their backs. The littlest turtle becomes an advocate for the bigger turtles and speaks up in proposing a change amongst the community of turtles.

This is a wonderful story that can be used to teach the importance of speaking up, demonstrating good citizenship and advocating for what you believe is best for all, even if it requires a change. As an elementary school teacher, I can see this book being used to supplement academic standards surrounding citizenship and I believe it would be a wonderful resource to support and reinforce a wide variety of character traits and discussions surrounding equity. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a copy, featuring and recommending the purchase of this book to our elementary school librarians.

Thank you to Lysa Mullady, NetGalley and Magination Press for the ARC and opportunity to post this review!

First and foremost, the illustrations in this story are phenomenal. We're big turtle/tortoise fans, so you'll always get us to read a book featuring them.

Jeremiah and I were both pretty happy to read this, but I felt his attention wane pretty quickly, and mine wandered quite a bit, too. The message of this book is REALLY important and really amazing. And the way the story is laid out is good, too.

The little turtles use the big turtles' shells to get to the high branches and eat the sweetest berries. The big turtles eat the cast offs that fall to the ground. This is the way things are done, this is the way things have always been done, and there's no need to change that.

But the littlest turtle can see that this isn't fair. The big turtles deserve the good berries, too. So he sets out to change things.

Now, it's fairly obvious what message we're telling, and that it's a crucially important message. But this is both too simple and too much for little minds. It would require the adults to do too much "You see? You see?" instead of the children absorbing the message and seeing the imbalance.

It's not a bad story, but it doesn't quite hit the target.

The Littlest Turtle is an inspiring story of teamwork and cooperation to achieve equity for all. The Littlest Turtle invokes change in their society and as a result, everyone benefits. I enjoyed this message and thought the illustrations were beautifully done.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Littlest Turtle
By Lyssa Mullady
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Series: None
Rated: 2
Obtain: Borrow
Back of the Book: “The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady is a picture book about the importance of using your voice to speak up for what is fair and right. 
For years, the little turtles climbed on top of the big turtles to eat the freshest fruit from the top of the bushes. The big turtles ate the fallen berries—sour and rotten. Littlest Turtle follows along with this tradition until she hears the feelings of the big turtles. Littlest Turtle sees how unfair this all is and thinks about the important question: would it be so hard to share?
Follow along as Littlest Turtle joins together with the big turtles, speaks up for change, and comes up with a new tradition that works for all turtles, no matter the size!”

Impressions: I think the illustrations were fun and engaging however I felt the text lacking. I was concerned with how sharing in burdens and thinking of others was set up. I don’t think the example of the turtles in this story was the best. I had also hoped for more ways to develop skills in compromising and coping with the emotions of both parties involved in sharing. The bottom line, I would not use this as an example of how to share with my kids.

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

The Littlest Turtle is a great book to teach little ones about helping others and social injustices. When the littlest turtle in a group of turtles realizes that the larger turtles do not get fresh fruit only because they are the lowest to the ground, she works with the rest of the turtles to create a new plan so that it is fair for all.