{Synopsis} – Olinguito is a shy and furry animal that sucks his thumb all day long and hides in the treetops of the Ecuadorian cloud forest. No one in the whole world knows that he exists. Olinguito is too shy to let the other creatures know that he has been listening and watching them, and enjoying the tales told by Tomas, an ancient Galapagos tortoise. Tomas loves to tell fantastic stories about the strange creatures of the Galapagos Islands, from the poisonous longnose stubfoot toad to a Pinta Island tortoise named Lonesome George, who no one in the cloud forest has ever seen. When Olinguito hears the other cloud forest animals ridicule Tomas for making things up, he realizes that these are not tall tales—they are memories of creatures driven to extinction. Shy Olinguito is finally moved to speak up in defense of Tomas. This poignant story addresses respect, both for the environment and for our elderly, and explores universal themes of friendship, memories, and finding the courage to speak up.
{My thoughts} – Olinguito is a really lovable animal that likes to hide and stay out of sight due to his shyness. He does however, come out of hiding and talk to Tomas a tortoise that likes to tell stories to all his forest friends. Tomas however, ins’t very liked for his story telling at first but once Olinguito gets him telling some stories all the other animals start to listen and like him. Tomas is an old tortoise and has many stories to tell for all his years he has been alive. However, he won’t be around much longer so it is good to listen and learn from him. It made me sad to read about him forgetting about what he was saying and not remembering his place in his stories. All too often that happens with the older generations.
This is a good book for any child to read and it has it’s perks. Its got beautiful illustrations. The words and the illustrations go together well. It is also written in both English and Spanish and therefore can appeal to more people. It is brilliantly written and well worth the read.
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
