BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Singer, Marilyn. 1989. TURTLE IN JULY. Illus. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. ISBN: 0-02-782881-6
REVIEW/CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Although there is no initial guide for readers to hint at the set-up of this book, the reader quickly understands the author's theme and strategy. Singer takes the reader on a seasonal journey through the eyes of animals. A small but relatively broad sample of animals is included in this work which is marked by the repeated appearance of the bullhead fish introducing the seasons. The book takes the reader on a journey with the characters she provides.
Each animal speaks in the first person giving the reader glimpses into their lives and struggles. Singer uses words to create a vivid picture for the reader while Pinkney's watercolor illustrations lead the eye further into the animal's world. Individual animals convey their personalities in their dialogue, and the drawings further scaffold those. For example, in "april a dog's dream" the puppy's playfulness comes through against a background of green grass symbolizing the season. "we're going to the park/ to chase and change and chew/ and i will make you see/ what spring is all about"; the reader can feel the enthusiasm of the dog, and the excitement for a trip to the park. Other favorite examples of the imagery capturing the animals personalities include, the confused bear waking from hibernation in "March Bear" ("Who I?/ Where I?/ When I now?/ No matter/ Need water/ Few berries/ Fresh ants") and the bragging of the deer going through the snow in "January Deer" ("While others around me/ sleep in silent caves,/ I run/ through the white world/ with wide-open eyes.").
The language used by Singer varies by each animal as does the rhythm and rhyme pattern. Some poems rhyme at the end of the lines as in "Turtle in July" ("Thick sticky/ Icky/ but I lie/ Nose high/ Cool pool/ No fool/ A turtle in July") while others repeat words thereby tying lines together as in "Canada Goose" ("Going home/ We're going home/ Are you coming?/ Yes, you're coming/ Going home/ We're going home"). The rhythm is impactful in Singer's works and reflect the animals as the simple illustrations do. Several examples display the author's talent in setting the rhythmic stage for the animals. In "Beavers in November" the spacing of words set up the rhythm the author wants for the reader: "This stick here/ That stick there/ Mud, more mud, add mud, good mud/ That stick here/ This stick there". The reader is given an image of the beaver carefully selecting the placement of sticks for his winter home. Without the unique rhythm chosen by Singer this element would have been lost. Another masterfully crafted pattern was found with "Timber Rattlesnake" as the language draws the reader's internal ear to the hissing of the snake: "Summer it still is/ Yes/ September stones/ Warm bones/ Warm blood/ Strike I still can/ Yes". The repeated use of "yes" and of the repeated "s" sound causes the reader to feel the hissing and the desired rhythm of the poem.
The closing of the Turtle In July anthology by Singer is a surprise. After painting a picture of animals in nature and their challenges, she ends with a plump, content house cat. "Cat" depicts the opposite of the struggles of the other animals: "I prefer/ warm fur,/ a perfect fire/ to lie beside,/ a cozy lap/ where I nap". The author's love of animals, all animals, comes through in this work and blends sincere images with humorous elements. This work is appropriate for children of all ages, for independent readers grades 3 and up while younger children will enjoy the illustrations and poems read aloud to them.
AWARDS/REVIEW EXCERPTS:
School Library Journal (11/1989): "a beautifully illustrated picture book for children to enjoy on their own and for reading aloud in primary grades." (Marilyn Iarusso)
Publishers Weekly: "Pinkney illustrates these works with his splendid watercolors and a unique flair for patterns"
CONNECTIONS:
*have children select one animal included in the anthology and find out about its habitat and movements during the time of year described
*have children dress as one of the animals and conduct a reader's theatre for other classes/grades
*tie this work with science lessons about the animals included
*have the children pick an animal not included in this work and try their hand at writing a poem about them
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