While did not like Turtle and Tortoise are NOT Friends, as much as my co-worker did (she called it “freaking hilarious”), there is plenty to love and laugh along with.
Mike Reiss tells the familiar story of two beings that seem like they could be the best of friends, except for the fact they are so radically different (think Star Trek and the epoiside where one was Black one side and White the other; the other was White on one side and Black on the other). After all, one is a turtle and the other a tortoise. Over the years (they learn as tiny babies they could both live around 100 years or so) the two barely speak to each other, ignore each other and have their own adventures. Reiss brings in the humor with one event taking them over 15 years to complete and having Turtle eat an “ugly” worm that looked like Churchill. And Ashley Spires brings the humor in with their illustrations. They show the characters eating said worm; being taken away by an eagle and shows the years going by with the costumes of the characters (we start probably turn of the century/1920s and go up to at least the groovy 1960s-1970s).
This book has a certain charm that is not for everyone, but everyone could find something in it that will be of interests. It is a fun book to read out-loud and could be for a classroom setting or a one-on-one setting. Higher beginning readers could start doing some reading as well, possibly with assistance.
Of course, why would you not read a book where the author has written for Pope Francis himself? And whom said pontiff called, “A Missionary of Joy.”?