Red Red Red (review)

Turtle hurries through town on his way "to see something red, red, red," and his speed and resolve have attracted the attention of many neighbors, who try without success to guess at Turtle's object. Following Turtle to see what he's after, the neighbors are bewildered when they come to a grassy hillside with nothing red in sight . . . that is, until the sunset fills the sky with a deep sanguine glow, and "all of them turn to enjoy it." Though the story is pretty mild, this color-filled adventure is appealing on lots of levels: Turtle's cryptic quest provides mystery, the neighborly offering of red-colored objects provides opportunities for audience participation, and the cumulative nature of the story provides patterning for young listeners. The illustrative presentation of the animal-filled neighborhood is reminiscent of Richard Scarry, with each creature attending to his or her own home or business amid the flurry of community activity. Gorbachev's signature line-and-watercolor art is lively and energetic, with casually hatched detail adding texture and a bright palette of paints (including lots of red) contributing to the story's dynamism. This would serve as a launching pad for a creative writing project wherein different colors were substituted for the red; it is also a sweet readaloud in its own right, and young listeners will enjoy predicting Turtle's goal.