Old Turtle books

Old Turtle ~ by Douglas Wood, watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee, children's picture book, 56 pages, 10/10

This book by Douglas Wood is about creation and the nature of God.  When it first burst upon the publishing scene in 1992, it was recognized as a classic fable about ecology, peace, and the interconnectedness of all beings.  

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth ~ by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Jon J Muth, 2003, children's, 64 pages, 10/10

This sequel comments on earth and all its creatures, who are suffering because the people will not share their truth with those who are different from them.  Then one brave little girl seeks the wisdom of the ancient Old Turtle, who sees that the people's truth is not a whole truth, but a broken truth.  Old Turtle shows the girl the missing part of the truth, and the little girl returns with it to her people.  When the pieces are brought together, the broken truth is made whole at last — "You are loved ... and so are they."  I couldn't put it down.

Old Turtle: Lessons of Old Turtle ~ by Douglas Woods, watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee, 2007, children's, 56 pages, 10/10

Simple yet profound, it has brought hope and inspiration to children and adults around the world since 1992.  Someone commented on Amazon that this book "teaches us about honoring the diversities among nature, plants, trees, mountains, the ocean, and all of the different kinds of people on Earth."

Old Turtle: Questions of the Heart ~ by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Greg Ruth, 2017, children's picture book, 56 pages

Why are we here?  What is the purpose of life?  How do we find happiness?  Once again, Old Turtle's wise answers offer readers of all ages inspiration, solace, and the most important gift of all -- hope.  This picture book is sure to delight fans of the original.  One person commented that this "is a great book about inclusion."

Song of Wisdom from Old Turtle (based on the book Old Turtle by Douglas Wood) ~ music by Joseph M. Martin, orchestrated by Brant Adams, 2000, music, 72 pages

Long ago, an argument arose between mountains and rivers, stars and ants, lions and bears on the nature of God.  A terrible cacophony of quarreling voices rang out until wise Old Turtle quelled the din, explaining that "God is all that we dream of, and all that we seek ... all that we come from and all that we can find."

Based on the book by Douglas Wood, with its elegant dream-like watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee, Song of Wisdom from Old Turtle is a choral and symphonic experience, which must not only be heard, but felt by the soul.  Staying true to the text of the story, Joseph Martin has masterfully crafted the many characters and moods of the book into a musical fantasy for SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) chorus and narrator.  Brant Adams' rich and colorful orchestration adds depth and a sense of awe to this choral symphony.  The work leaves audiences speechless, until they jump to their feet in enthusiastic applause.

Though I requested the other books from the library, I own a copy of this last one (music) and had it on hand as I composed this blog post.  Here are awards the original book won, according to Wikipedia:

• 1992 ILA Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards - Younger Reader Category
• 1993 American Booksellers’ Children's Book of the Year - winner
• 1993 International Reading Association Children's Book Award - Picture Book