*Starred Review* One day, Mrs. Tortoise realizes she has grown old. Her worn-out shell makes her sad, so her best friend Birdie offers to help fix it. First, he borrows stars from the sky for her shell, but they twinkle so brightly she gets no sleep. Then, he borrows flowers from the plants, but they soon wilt and droop. He asks the wind to wrap her in clouds, but they soon begin to rain. Nothing seems to work, and Mrs. Tortoise becomes disheartened. But Birdie has one final idea: to borrow paint from the rainbow. Mrs. Tortoise's shell is about to become extraordinary! Merlán spins a sweet, simple tale of supportive friendship (with a nice lesson about apologizing tucked neatly into the end), brought to full life through Wimmer's whimsical artwork. Each sweeping two-page spread is filled with details that are a delight to discover (a tiny alien spaceship, a window with a flapping curtain in the tortoise's shell, tiny houses with smokestacks living on top of rainy clouds, etc.). Wimmer's stars are luminescent, her depiction of wind is graceful, and her rainbow's palette is dazzling. The stunning use of saturated color atop beige watercolor washes gives the story dramatic heft and great beauty, further justifying her status as an award-winning illustrator of international renown.--Worthington, Becca Copyright 2017 Booklist

Old Mrs. Tortoise discovers wrinkles. It doesn't make her day.Mrs. Tortoise likes to start her morning at the pond to freshen up. This particular day, "she felt like something extraordinary was about to happen to her." What with this premonition, along with Wimmer's warm, mystical landscapes, Merln has set the stage. And that special something is: Mrs. Tortoise's reflection, which she clearly has never reflected upon. "Her face was wrinkled and her shell looked worn out. It was right then that she felt old and very, very sad." Her good friend Birdie happens by. Birdie is even more colorful than Mrs. Tortoise's turtleneck sweater. Seeing she is in the dumps, Birdie tries several spectacular efforts to cheer her up, but none suit. Finally Mrs. Tortoise snaps at Birdie, her rage taking him off his feet. Mrs. Tortoise then gets a serious bout of guilt, then collapses into a deep sleepgiving Birdie the chance to pull a neat trick to brighten Mrs. Tortoise's next day. Mrs. Tortoise is thrilled, and apologizes for being mean. Birdie accepts. At first it feels that Birdie had to go to a great deal of effort and trouble forwhat? an apology?and that Merln's story lacks a reckoning. But the reckoning, and the extraordinary thing, is Birdie going the extra mile for a friend. It's a little roundabout, but this friendship tale gets there in the end. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.