THE BOX TURTLE

A young turtle’s experiences with bullying and friendship lead him on a journey of self-acceptance.

When a pair of box-turtle parents discovers that their baby is born without a shell, they don’t miss a beat. The loving parents “[give] him a name and a shell, both of which fit just right”: Terrance, in a playful nod to his species, wears a cardboard box. Terrance is perfectly happy until a trio of bullies shame him for his unusual shell. Mortified, Terrance leaves the box behind to look for something beyond reproach. Hijinks ensue during Terrance’s search for a new shell, which features the disrobed reptile and his anthropomorphic buttocks on full display. At every step of the determined turtle’s quest, Terrance’s unnamed hermit crab friend is there, supporting Terrance as he tries on box after box. After a roster of options (including a mailbox, a boombox, and a jack-in-the-box) are rejected for their slapstick effects, Terrance is downcast—until the hermit crab offers up their own tiny shell. This generous act of friendship inspires Terrance to return to his beloved cardboard box after all. Among a range of titles featuring a be-true-to-yourself message, this effort doesn’t quite stack up. Aside from its overworked story, the idea that Terrance “[is] so much more than just his shell” implies that he does have an unfortunate attribute. Such a concept does little to challenge the biases of Terrance’s bullies or the false notion that Terrance’s shell is “definitely weird.”

Sadly, there’s not much to unpack in this box.