Pockety: the tortoise who lived as she pleased by Florence Seyvos

Ill. by Claude Ponti. Pushkin Press, 2014. ISBN 9781782690252
(Age: Newly independent readers) Pockety is a tiny tortoise who leaves home at a very young age to live like a grown up. She meets Thumb who has also left home to live like a grown up and they build a hut together so they can. But one day, Thumb is killed by a stone and although Pockety laughs at first, when she realises she has lost her dear friend for good, she is devastated. And so her grieving begins.
This is a quaint story translated from the French original Pochee, which traces Pockety's grieving process which is very similar to that of a human. She's in denial, angry, bereft, wanting company and wanting to be alone. It's sensitive and gentle and the reader's emotions follow Pockety's journey hoping she will eventually find peace and comfort.
This is a gentle, sensitive story that will appeal to newly independent readers who are looking for something a little bit different. Pushkin developed this series so they could bring the stories of the world to young children in the hope they will open new doors and gateways to a whole new world of stories. Pockety is an excellent example of the success of their goal.
Barbara Braxton