In this top-notch follow-up to the bestseller Old Turtle, Douglas Wood has created a parable that will reach not only those 4–8 years of age, but adults as well.
Once in a far away and lovely place, where "every stone was a teacher and every breeze a language," a truth falls from the sky and breaks in half before it lands. Various animals pick up this shiny stone of truth but sense that it is not whole; something is missing. Then a human being comes across the discarded truth and sees a message written on it: "You are loved." He shares this treasure with his community and soon they have forgotten the beauty of the natural world around them and are obsessed with their truth. At the same time that it makes them feel proud and strong, their version of the truth creates fear and anger in them for others who do not share their truth. Soon there are wars and much suffering in the land. Not only for the people, but for the stones and the trees.
A little girl who is upset by the warfare and the suffering seeks the wise counsel of Old Turtle. He tells her that there are many truths to be found in the world and within ourselves. The Old Turtle also reveals the second half of the broken truth — one that hopefully will inspire all readers, young and old, to open their hearts, minds, and souls to those on a different path than our own.
The elegant watercolor-and-ink illustrations of Jon J. Muth greatly enhance this awesome parable of hospitality.
