THE FISHERMAN AND THE TURTLE

The Grimms’ familiar tale of “The Fisherman and His Wife” gets an Aztec setting enhanced by Mexican artist Avilés’s simple, cheerful illustrations. The fisherman captures in his net a green sea turtle who is one of the seven sons of Opochtli, god of the sea. In return for releasing him, the turtle grants the fisherman a wish—for (all he can think of) four fish. The greedy wife scolds him for asking for so little, and orders him to return to ask for a stone house. She is happy “for now” but soon wants to be the king, and then a god. The result of her final wish is a satisfying surprise. Kimmel concludes that while the mighty Aztec empire is long gone, the great turtle still swims in the sea “as he has since the beginning of time,” and asks, “If you met him, what would you wish for?” This welcome variant is well-suited to reading aloud, discussion and comparison. (author’s note) (Picture book/folklore. 4-8)