So Tortoise Dug

December 16, 2024
Tortoise loves to dig, but Mouse, Tortoise’s burrowmate and friend, prefers to lounge while sipping tea. After their home floods, they determine that Tortoise will create a new burrow, and then the two will play. When Tortoise is finished, though, Mouse is gone, and more animals appear, asking Tortoise to dig rooms for them. In a sequence that holds most of the story’s energy, Tortoise obliges—over and over again—while worrying about Mouse’s return. Kastner (While You’re Asleep) works in digitally finished multimedia spreads that carry a strong retro vibe. The growing burrow is shown in cross-section, the new rooms listed as they pile up (“a cool pad for the mole skinks, a place for the spotted skunk to rest”). Then the new members of the community also disappear. Though Mouse’s reappearance brings some comfort, Tortoise’s growing distress overshadows a friendly end reveal. An author’s note, which states that the gopher tortoise and the Florida mouse are real-world roommates, describes this work as a “pourquoi tale” (“a fictional explanation of why something is the way that it is”), but the story leaves lingering questions about why the animals cohabitate. Ages 4–8.

February 1, 2025
When the home of BFFs Tortoise and Mouse springs a leak, Tortoise decides to dig a new burrow. Mouse agrees that the two will play after Tortoise is done. But when Tortoise completes the job, Mouse is nowhere to be found. Other animals show up, each asking if there might be room for them, too. Tortoise obliges but continues to wonder: Where is Mouse? And where have all the other animals gone? Finally, Tortoise discovers Mouse has gone to visit Armadillo. Frustrated, Tortoise explodes at Mouse--only to discover that she and all the other grateful animals have a wonderful surprise. Reminiscent of Jan Brett's classic taleThe Mitten, the story deftly employs repetition as Tortoise digs: "a room for Rabbit, / a room for Tortoise, and a room for Mouse... /if she ever came back." An author's note explains that the protagonists are based on the real-life gopher tortoise and the Florida mouse; the former is a keystone species that creates homes for many other creatures. Readers curious about the habits of the other animals mentioned in the book will be spurred on to further research. Kastner's gouache, watercolor, and pastel illustrations rely on warm natural shades and textures. The characters are deeply expressive, particularly Tortoise, whose enthusiasm, fatigue, and eventual anger are palpable. Cross-sectional views of the extensive burrow will suck in kids who enjoy maps or schematics. An entertaining read-aloud that will encourage kids to dig even deeper.(Picture book. 4-8)

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