A mouthful of minnows

Alphonso, a snapping alligator turtle with a pink, worm-like tongue that baits unsuspecting prey, plunges to the bottom of the pond, opens his mouth wide, and waits for breakfast to appear. Soon one minnow arrives, then several more, and eventually Big Betty. Alphonso's anticipation of his feast is keen, until he realizes the little minnows are Betty's progeny, celebrating her birthday. He declines to snap, the school glides towards a real lure, and Alphonso, recognizing the danger, swims to the rescue, preventing the demise of his newfound friends. Hare's digitally enhanced acrylic-on-hardboard paintings are richly hued in greens, browns, and pinks, with shading used effectively to convey three dimensionality. His style is mostly naturalistic, although prominent facial features (eyes, mouths, and lashes, in particular) help to convey the characters' emotions and add nuance to the story. Readers will also appreciate the small blue crayfish, unmentioned in the text, who observes the entire story. An appended note offers additional facts about this Ankylosaurusesque species, including suitable real-world cautions.

Alphonso is an alligator snapping turtle, a species with a wormlike tongue that attracts unsuspecting fish. He's not a baddie (an opening scene establishes that he has plenty of turtle pals), just hungry--and as per usual, he parks at the bottom of the pond with mouth open wide and tongue wriggling, waiting for breakfast to swim in. But when a school of minnows decides that the "worm" would make a perfect birthday present for their friend Big Betty, and she shows up with all her children and grandchildren ("This is the very best birthday I could ask for!"), Alphonso is so overcome that he not only loses his appetite, he also saves Big Betty from getting caught on a worm-clad fishing hook. Hare's (the Field Trip Adventures series) spot-on characterizations are matched by the beauty of the book's digitally finished acrylic settings, which show multiple perspectives of the pond's emerald green waters streaked with rays of sunlight from above. While it's not clear whether Alphonso has sworn off minnows entirely, at the very least he's discovered that a little delayed gratification can mean a great fishing story. Back matter offers more detail on Alphonso's species. Ages 4--8. (May)