Erin Arsenault

Based on a true story from the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this literary nonfiction picture book describes the day that Gus, a 90-year-old tortoise, accidentally escaped from the museum on his first day there. Gus crawls out of his box hungry, and journeys through the museum gardens and out into the city in search of lunch and a place to nap. Meanwhile, Elliot, the museum worker who is in charge of Gus' exhibit, searches high and low for the tortoise. Elliot finds Gus by the river and returns the tortoise to his exhibit, which has been specially prepared to simulate Gus' natural habitat. The watercolor illustrations are reminiscent of Monet garden scenes, fitting for the context of the story, and portray Gus with a wide range of expressions. An excellent example of narrative nonfiction, perfect for a read aloud for animal lovers or a classroom unit on reptiles. Recommended for grades PreK-2.… (más)