Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers

Memoirs of a Tortoise

By Devin Scillian, ill. Tim Bowers

Bluebonnet Award Winner

Ages 4+, grades 1+

In Memoirs of a Tortoise, Oliver spends his 81st year watching his garden change with the seasons, and reflects on life with– and without– his human, Ike. Through a conversation with his mother, the tortoise navigates grief and loss, and finds joy and closure on the other side.

Justification

This book was actually chosen by my son, a five-year-old animal lover, from the Texas Bluebonnet Awards list. I expect that it’s only a short matter of time before he notices and requests the rest of Devin Scillian’s "memoirs" books from the back cover. Despite the heavy theme of loss that makes up the middle of this story, my son and I both enjoy it, in part due to the lightness, love, and appreciation in which the saddest part is sandwiched. As a parent of two young children, I have a particular appreciation for picture books that work through challenging topics in such a helpful, hopeful, and accessible way.

Content

Memoirs of a Tortoise is narrated in the first person by the titular tortoise, Oliver. The story is arranged with a new reflection each month for thirteen months. While this means that a significant amount of time is covered in such a short book, the pacing still feels appropriately unhurried. This is an effect of Scillian’s simple sentence structure, paired with the easygoing and mindful musings of the tortoise as he ruminates over the lovely things in his life with his human Ike, from the crunchy sweetness of an apple to the shade offered them by a sycamore tree. In June (the sixth page of the story), Oliver recalls a saying from his mother: “‘The whole world is in a hurry. They miss so much.’ I’m not missing anything,” he asserts. As the story continues, Oliver unexpectedly loses Ike. Through a months-long quest through numerous other gardens and back, which Scillian peppers with bittersweet observations of his changing surroundings, Oliver is able to process his confusion and grief and learns to look back on his time with his human with love and continued appreciation of the simple things in life.

Illustrations

In his illustrations for Memoirs of a Tortoise, Tim Bowers marries a foundation of realism in his acrylic painting with a touch of whimsy. While Ike and the surrounding gardens are illustrated fairly true to life, Oliver embodies immense personality in the images, matching the anthropomorphic narration that allows him the seemingly human sentiments of joy, grief, and a longing for “forever.” While some scenes are presented in a straightforward landscape, others offer a variety of viewpoints: through a forest of hibiscus flowers or over the rim of a plastic baby pool, for example. This keeps the illustrations themselves engaging for readers as they navigate the simple but sweet messaging of the story.

Scillian, D. (2020). Memoirs of a tortoise (T. Bowers, Illus.). Sleeping Bear Press.