HOW TURTLE'S BACK WAS CRACKED

Turtle suffers a delusionary episode, believing he is a great hunter after finding dead at his feet a greedy wolf. Readers will know that Possum did the beast in, but regardless, Turtle can hardly contain himself and gloats at every opportunity. The wolves are not about to take this false press; a braggart, especially a fake, deserves a comeuppance. The result is an explanation of how the turtles' shells became cracked. It also demonstrates why Ross (How Rabbit Tricked Otter, 1994, etc.) is fast gaining a reputation as a fluid, entertaining storyteller. Turtle as mighty hunter—who'd have believed it? This old Cherokee tale has humor with a kick; Jacob's densely detailed, stylized acrylics add a bit of the surreal. (Picture book. 4-8)