Tortoise proves it's not always the strong and mighty that win. Sometimes it's the quick thinkers and those who humbly accept wise advice. Great message for these days! Even though it's meant to be a book for small children, I can think of lots of older kids who could benefit from this message as well.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the pictures in this book. I love how the patient tortoise outsmarts the bigger animals. A good lesson for all children.

It was a story about a tortise who wants to be friend with a elephant and Hippo. As tortise is brainy which asks elephant and hippo for a tug of war as they talk ill about tortoise because of its small size......

With school starting very soon, this is an excellent book to read to your children, or to a classroom at the beginning of the year. Tortoise is having difficulty making friends, in fact, elephant and hippo are downright mean to him. They make him believe that he is small, ugly and stupid (I dislike this word very much, but it is used). When he finally comes up with an idea to show them that he is very brainy, the big, macho animals fall for it. Of course, they realize how wrong they are in the end and all become friends. I wish life were that simple. With a discussion about what the issues are, what is the correct way to act and treat others, this book could help young children to become better citizens and not fall into this trap of judging others based on their appearance before it happens. The illustrations are amazing. They are large, detailed and colourful. I think reading this to younger children might not get the message across but could elicit some conversations and vocabulary development just be discussing the illustrations. A wonderful addition to a school, class or family library. The publisher, Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions stated are my own.

A stunningly illustrated re-telling of an African folktale. Tortoise is small and wrinkly so Elephant and Hippo do not want to be friends with him, making Tortoise sad. So he devises a plan to trick them and in the end they all become friends. The story has a wonderful message and would be great for classroom discussions about bullying, words that hurt and including others.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens for an advanced copy of this book.

This is a retelling of a folktale/fable about a tortoise, elephant and hippopotamus. The illustrations in this book were absolutely stunning, but from a teacher’s perspective, I wasn’t a huge fan of the retelling of the story. It felt choppy and quick, which made me feel that I would use this book with a younger crowd, but so felt that the lesson at the end could be misinterpreted by little ones. I was immediately put off by the elephant repeatedly calling the tortoise stupid - while there’s a lesson to be taught in the use of the word, I could definitely foresee some kids taking advantage of what they heard in the book and some unhappy parents left to deal with the fallout. Also, while Tortoise proved that he isn’t as dim-witted as both bigger animals made him out to be, the fact that they all immediately became friends after Hippo and Elephant crashed into each other just seemed a little too much of a “happy ending”, and I think some kids would struggle to understand why Tortoise would want to be friends with animals that were mean to him in the first place. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

Absolutely hilarious and truly in the vein of traditional African folktales where there is humor interspersed with a moral lesson.

This book is absolutely gorgeous! I love all the colors and the wide variety of animals, birds, flowers and butterflies. The story about animals looking for (and finding) friendship is also fantastic. I would love to add this one to my son's collection.

First, the illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS! I absolutely loved them! They were modern, but with a folk art flare. Completely beautiful!

The story was cute... I think it could use a bit more fleshing out. I believe that the plot is a re-working of an old folk-tale. But the lesson could be stronger and more aligned with how children should be making friends. It's a bit concerning that the tortoise seems to have to earn their friendship - like maybe the elephant and the hippo could be a bit more remorseful and want to be his friend. I don't know something about it is just a little harsh. I also think the author maybe should reconsider the use of the word stupid? It's a word my kids weren't allowed to say at their preschool or in early grades when this book would have been appropriate for them.

4★
The illustrations are five-star and worth the price of admission! The story is a simple fable about valuing friends for more than their size (or some other quality). Perhaps it is an old fable, and I just don't recognise it.

Tortoise wanders out on a beautiful day to make a new friend. First Elephant hoses him down and insults him:

“'No, thanks! I am the biggest and best beast in this jungle, and you are nothing more than a small, stupid old tortoise.'

Tortoise walked away, feeling sad.”

Next he asks Hippo and gets the same result, topped off with a spitting spray for his trouble. Same story, no luck.

[My Goodreads review includes an Illustration of Hippo laughing and spraying water on Tortoise.]

Poor Tortoise! Nobody wants to be friends with a little wrinkly creature .

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration of poor Tortoise feeling sorry for himself.]

He thinks about it and decides to outwit them by challenging each to a tug of war. Ridiculous, right? Of course it is. But like all good fables, the little wrinkly underdog (undertortoise) wins the day.

He tricks them into each tugging the other end of a long vine, and when it snaps, they fall over backwards.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration of Elephant and Hippo going bottoms-up!]

The realise how silly they've been to misjudge Tortoise, and they all make friends and presumably live happily ever after.

[My Goodreads review includes an illustration of the animals laughing together.]

The artwork is stunning. The story is so basic that very young children will understand it. I'd have rated it higher if the story had a little more to it. But older children will have fun looking for little things in the pictures, and adults will just enjoy looking at it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing / Frances Lincoln Childrens for the beautiful preview copy from which I've copied the pictures.

This is the 2nd book I’ve reviewed by Naomi Howarth and I have to say my grandchildren loved this more the dragon. It tells the story of a Tortoise who is looking for a friend but both the Elephant and the Hippo feel they are too big and important to be friends with a tortoise. But the bird gives the tortoise an idea and he tricks both the Elephant and the Hippo into a game of tug of war. An excellent book that is again bright, colourful and beautifully illustrated. A highly recommended read.

"One morning, while the sun was high in the sky over the banks of the great African river, Tortoise set off on a walk.
'It's so beautiful and sunny', he said to himself.'
'I think it's the perfect day to make a new friend."


He encounters an elephant and asks him point blank, "Would you like to be my friend?" Elephant's reply is rude, demeaning and quite shocking.

"No thanks! I am the biggest and best beast in this jungle, and you are nothing more than a small, stupid old tortoise"

Tortoise is saddened and walks away until he comes upon a Hippo and thinks perhaps he can be his friend. He poses the same question and gets this reply:

"Be your friend?" roared Hippo." "Are you joking? I am the toughest most terrible thing in this jungle, and you are nothing more than a small, wrinkly old tortoise."

Poor Tortoise, now he feels even worse. Bird can't help but notice how badly Tortoise feels and gives Tortoise some excellent advice... advice that inspires and motivates Tortoise to concoct a brilliant plan to prove to both Elephant and Hippo that they may have power and brawn but he has brains. Do you think his plan will work? Can he prove to the prideful two that just because you are smaller does not mean you are deplorable?

"Tug of War" is a retelling of a wise West African folktale. The illustrations are spectacular and engaging and the message is positive and inspiring. I highly recommend this wonderful book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

TUG OF WAR has such gorgeous illustrations and a sweet story that retells an inspiring West African folktale. Children learn that friendship means much more than strength in this charming book for young readers. Highly recommended!

Grateful to Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens and NetGalley for the early copy, in exchange for my true review.

#TugOfWar #NetGalley

A beautifully illustrated work that tells the story of a tortoise making up for his lack of pace and power with his quickness of mind and thought.

This reads like a retelling of a classic fable but delivers the story with such gloriously full illustrated pages that the colour bursts off the page at you.

'Tug of War' reminds me of the sort of books my parents read to me as a child, and it is certainly one I would recommend people buy to read with their own children today.

I am sorry I just did not like this book. And I think it all hinges on the word “stupid”. Tortoise wants to make friends. But the elephant says he is too small. The hippo says he's not big enough. Later in the book the elephant calls the tortoise “stupid” for challenging him to tug of war. It just sits wrong with me. I see what the author was trying to do. This is a more modern, slightly different Tortoise and the Hare story, but the word choice just turned me off. I do want to give a shout out to the illustrator because they did an excellent job.

An amazing children's story and a very important lesson on kindness for the little one's to learn. Wonderful work

This book was so beautiful. I loved all the colors and pictures. The message about friendship and why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover is also nice.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet and fun story of how brains beats brawn. I'm not sure it was a good advisory on how to make friends though. The story is that the elephant and the hippopotamus both reject the friendship overtures of the tortoise because it's small and wrinkled and slow. The tortoise challenges each of them to a tug of war which they both accept, but what they don't know is that they're tugging against each other, not against the tortoise!

In the end they all become friends. I'm far from convinced that having friends that dumb and bigoted is worth all this effort, but who knows? Maybe the tortoise will be a positive influence in their lives. Hippos are known to be irascible; elephants, not so much, and they're really smart, too, so while on the one hand I resent the elephant being misrepresented, I also found the story entertaining for kids who aren't going to analyze it at all. Plus it teaches a lesson about teaching lessons, so on balance, I consider this to be a worthy read.

One of the most beautiful children's books I have read in a long time. Such an amazing story. It is so important to teach our young that it is not important to be the best at everything. This shows how looks aren't everything.

The narration of this book makes it feel like an ancient fable, which perhaps it is. As is often the case in children's literature, a story with animals is a way for children to access their feelings indirectly by identifying with a non-human character. In this short, nicely illustrated story, Toad is sad because he does not have friends. He blames himself for this dilemma, until a wise and friendly bird offers him some advice. Armed with a new way of looking at things, Toad is able to form new friendships. A simply told yet welcome tale for a read-aloud audience.