Susie’s Book Nook - New Children’s Book Review: “Old Turtle”
This has been one of my favorite stories for so many years now that I cannot even begin to guess when it first held space on my bookshelf. Though published in 1992, it is now even more important for this book to be read given the light on our present social justice issues. The book “Old Turtle” by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Cheng-Khee Chee reminds us of what happens when we set ourselves in superiority of everyone else and how things can be more balanced and pleasantly different when we recognize what is special in each other.
This fable begins in a world where all the beings can speak with and understand one another. Softly at first, an argument begins when the quiet breeze whispers, “He is a wind who is never still.” Only to be answered by the stone, “He is a great rock that never moves.” But the mountain declares, “God is a snowy peak, high about the clouds.” Everything on earth has an idea of who God is and God always resembled each of them. A swimmer like the fish… twinkling and shining far, far away like the star… a part of the world always growing and giving like the tree…and the island argues God to be separate and apart. As you can imagine, this argument grows louder and louder until a new voice speaks out saying: “STOP!”
Does this sound like our world today? People taking stands to be superior and right. Voicing louder and louder that those with different skin colors, religious beliefs or orientation are lesser people and should not be entitled to equal rights. I wonder who will be brave enough to say: “STOP!”
In this book, the Old Turtle, who hardly ever said anything and certainly never argued about God, surprised everyone when he began to speak. Old Turtle then shares all that God IS, telling each how God is all the things that each believed…. deep, high, swift, free, close yet far, gentle, and powerful.
The story continues as the family of beings comes into the world, many colors and shapes with different faces and different ways of speaking. These human beings were to be a message of love from God to the earth and a prayer from earth back to God. Unfortunately, they forgot what they were supposed to be and began to argue about who knew God and who did not, and whether God was or was not. They misused their powers, hurt one another, and hurt the earth. Until one day, there came a voice growling like thunder but as soft as butterfly sneezes saying: “Please, STOP.”
Find this book at your local library or buy a copy at your favorite bookstore and see what the mountain has to say, and the stone, and the breeze. Find out just how they now see God. Find out what the people did.
The Old Turtle, he smiled…and so did God.
Maybe we could do the same and God will smile.