Review of: Henry the Turtle by C. K. Sobey

Genre: Children’s

I was sent this book for review by the author, but all opinions expressed are my own.  Check out her website for more information, here.

Henry the Turtle is abandoned as an egg on a stretch of sandy beach near a duck pond, but when one of the mother ducks adopts the egg, the ducks welcome Henry to their midst, and he grows up perfectly happy and cared for–just a turtle in a duck pond.

Punctuated with some fun facts about nature and eggs, Henry the Turtle is a sweet story about adoption and the love of a family.  The general plot reminded me of the Dr. Seuss classic, ‘Horton Hatches the Egg’, but there was definitely a unique voice here too.

The educational facts about eggs and duck habitat were interesting, and struck a good balance of story/fact for a younger child.  I haven’t stumbled across very many children’s books about adoption during my forays to the picture-book section of the library and maybe that is only because I never particularly looked for them before, but I’m always pleased when they do turn up!

Now, I loved the story, but this has to be said. My sole complaint about this book is an issue with the grammar and typos.  I would never claim to be a model of perfection in the grammar department, but when I notice multiple typos or obvious grammar problems within a single book, it really has to be noted–if only to stop my own eyes from twitching.  Luckily, this is something that should be easy to remedy in the next edition or revision.

Overall, the story was lovely but the grammar made me wince, so I’m going to have to go with a basic ‘liked it’ rating until a revised edition comes out.

I liked it: 3 out of 5 stars