Theodore
Theodore was a typical turtle: greenish-brown, wrinkled, a little shy, and very slow. But Theodore was one more thing: OLD!!!
Theodore wasn’t always old. In fact he’d been one of the most handsome turtles in the meadow. That was young Theodore. How could everything change so much?
One day Theodore, a little confused, wondered away and “disappeared!” Where could that old fellow be? Did anyone miss him or even care that he was gone?
Theodore addresses the issues of aging to help the younger generation understand, appreciate, and learn from the senior citizens around them—grandparents, great-grandparents or other acquaintances. The issue of death is gently and briefly addressed as well. There are questions in the back of the book to promote intergenerational discussions and to connect the objectives of the book with the young reader.
THEODORE was written to honor my ninety-seven your old mother, Ruth Vander Wilt. She is an amazing woman, and the lessons I’ve learned from her have shown me how much we can miss if we are ignoring the older adults all around us.
I hope you enjoy and are inspired just a little by THEODORE!
Read Aloud to Children Ages 3-10
Independent Reading Level Ages 8-10 years
Click Here to learn more about our illustrator, Melanie Regier