First sentence: I am stuck. I can't seem to get unstuck. Stuck? Try wiggling your feet.

Premise/plot: Turtle, our protagonist, is stuck. In this picture book, many, many animals come by and see Turtle in his stuck-ness. Each offers advice on how to get unstuck. Advice that tends to be specific to their species, and not particularly generally useful advice to help him. But one animal is different. And that difference makes all the difference in the world...

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I love Turtle and Possum. I really love the direction this one took. The illustrations were SO cute and adorable. The story isn't necessarily cute and adorable. Though it could be seen that way, I suppose. I think this one could "hit" readers differently. For some it might be cute. For others it might be funny. For others it may be all too relatable.

Saw at the Carle. Love, love, love the design and concept of this book. Turtle is stuck, and several other animals come by to offer their advice that works for them when they are stuck ("Try wiggling your feet," says Duck), but it doesn't work for Turtle. Finally, when Turtle retreats into their shell, Possum comes along, and is the first to ask a question: "Does it hurt?" Turtle answers that it doesn't hurt, "But I feel scared, frustrated, and alone." Possum replies, "You don't have to be alone," and they lie there together, even through a rainstorm. Then something funny causes them to laugh so hard that Turtle gets unstuck, at which point Possum throws confetti (stashed in their pouch all along?), and the two wander off as friends.

Back matter includes advice for when you are feeling stuck: Use your senses, Talk about it, Take a deep breath.

See also: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld ( )