La tortouga golosa

(The Sweet-Toothed Turtle) Campos, Paula. illus. by Macarena Ortega. U.S.: Paula Books (Había una vez en América): Jorge Pinto Books. 2008. ISBN 0-9795576-4-X. pap. $14.95. Gr 2-4–According to the Nahua Indians of Mexico, the turtle’s shell got its patchwork pattern by an accident that changed nature’s design. When a sweet-toothed turtle gets tired of the limited ground vegetation within her reach, she decides to climb a tree with appetizing fruit. When she falls from the trunk and cracks her shell into many pieces, the forest animals offer her feathers and sea shells to cover her nakedness; when nothing seems to work, they decide to team up and reassemble the broken shell. The whimsical and vibrant watercolors will appeal to young readers; and the appended information, which includes a map of the Nahua settlement within the American continent, will help children better understand this culture that is still alive in parts of Mexico