Twig and Turtle 2

October 16, 2020

K-Gr 3-In this series sequel, Twig and Turtle enter a competition to name a toy store in their neighborhood. The sisters meet Ms. Wallaby, who uses their mom's photography service and their father's comic artistry to create a sign for her new toy store. She is holding a contest to come up with her store name, and the girls and their friends become eager to enter. Twig's friend Angela gives her a doll, which Twig hides because of a family rule where she and her sister are only allowed five toys each because of their tiny house. She is eventually caught with the toy and confesses, which leads the family to come up with a fair solution. In this story, the girls learn to communicate proudly and fearlessly, including defending their names to Ms. Wallaby, an adult who makes comments about their names and also objects to them gender neutralizing her toys. The plot demonstrates the young siblings teaching an adult to be thoughtful and see a different perspective. VERDICT: A delightful installment in the "Twig and Turtle" series that touches on creativity, friendship, and expansive understandings of gender. Highly recommended for all public and school collections.-Annmarie Braithwaite, NYPL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Even though the titular sisters first seen in Twig and Turtle: Big Move to a Tiny House (rev. 7/20) have now settled into their home in Happy Trails, Colorado, they still have a couple of crises to solve. The owner of a new toy store initiates the story's action by announcing a naming contest. Twig is at first reluctant to reduce her chances of winning by telling her friends about the competition. Although the situation resolves itself, the idea of tension between what she wants to do and what she should do is born. Later, when Twig accepts a doll from a friend and thus breaks their household's five-toy rule, she lets a "big old mountain of want" dictate her actions. Jacobson again shows her strength in creating problems seemingly specific to one setting but experienced by many children; without a hint of didacticism, she allows Twig to reach a creative solution to the problem. Short chapters, generous use of dialogue, and text-supporting spot art scaffold the reading for newly independent chapter book readers. This series reaffirms the old adage that good things come in small packages.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2021
Even though the titular sisters first seen in Twig and Turtle: Big Move to a Tiny House (rev. 7/20) have now settled into their home in Happy Trails, Colorado, they still have a couple of crises to solve. The owner of a new toy store initiates the story's action by announcing a naming contest. Twig is at first reluctant to reduce her chances of winning by telling her friends about the competition. Although the situation resolves itself, the idea of tension between what she wants to do and what she should do is born. Later, when Twig accepts a doll from a friend and thus breaks their household's five-toy rule, she lets a "big old mountain of want" dictate her actions. Jacobson again shows her strength in creating problems seemingly specific to one setting but experienced by many children; without a hint of didacticism, she allows Twig to reach a creative solution to the problem. Short chapters, generous use of dialogue, and text-supporting spot art scaffold the reading for newly independent chapter book readers. This series reaffirms the old adage that good things come in small packages. Betty Carter

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)