Starred Review Though Rodney isn't your usual run-of-the-mill warm-and-fuzzy pet, he is "an old pal, loyal and true." The tortoise has had a long life and is even older than Bernadette's parents and great-aunt. From the start, the Was in the book's title may alert readers to Rodney's ultimate fate. Bernadette and her pet spend a lot of quality time together: she takes him to school for Pet Day, plays games with him lpfully taking his turns for him d reads to him at bedtime. The two especially enjoy playing a staring game that Rodney always wins, since Bernadette bursts into laughter each time. Every night, they fall asleep side by side, one in a bed and the other in a tank. But one day Rodney doesn't move, and Bernadette's mother gently explains that he has died. The child feels a deep sadness over the loss of her pet, and her sorrow appears to go unnoticed at school until a sympathetic classmate reaches out to her. The delightful use of language and charming illustrations in soft-hued pencil and watercolor ich appear in a wide variety of sizes and are filled with minute and appealing details mbine to create a captivating story of friendships lost and found.

Bernadette loves her pet tortoise, Rodney. "Day after day, / year after year, / Rodney was there, / loyal and true." In Rodney, Bernadette sees a willing playmate, always up for a game of Go Fish (she "took Rodney's turns for him") or a staring contest ("Rodney always won"). It might take him all day to look up or to eat a lettuce leaf, but his quiet, steady presence is a comfort to Bernadette. Line breaks in Forler's (Trampoline Boy, rev. 5/18) warm text slow the pace and focus on moments in time. Kang's gentle watercolor and pencil illustrations touchingly depict this special relationship, making the inevitable all the more heartbreaking. When the day comes that "sleepy old Rodney" stops moving, the illustrations turn somber and emphasize Bernadette's loneliness and grief. Almost as painful as the loss, however, is the realization that for everyone else, life goes on. "The other kids ran and whirled past her / as though Rodney had never existed." The illustrations deftly echo details in the text to reinforce the child's sense of isolation. "Bernadette put on her protective shell, / and lumbered to school" has her in an olive-green hoodie (hood up), sitting "quiet and still," tortoise-like, on a rock. One empathetic classmate, who notices and validates her emotions ("You must be very sad about Rodney"), brings Bernadette out of her shell and sets her on the path to healing. This tender story about losing a friend and making room for a new one ends on a realistically hopeful note. Kitty Flynn

Wry, observational writing by Forler (Trampoline Boy) and loose, frequently funny vignettes by Ling Kang (The Midnight Club) give this tale of loss its own distinctive, endearing resonance. Rodney, Bernadette-s tortoise, is practically prehistoric-older than her great-aunt-and girl and reptile share a happy kinship. Watercolor and pencil illustrations capture their intimacy, as Bernadette, who has light skin and straight black hair, dresses up as a queen and holds a mirror up so Rodney can admire the miniature crown she-s made for him (-She could tell he loved it-). One morning, though, Rodney doesn-t wake up. -Maybe he-s just holding his breath to be funny,- says Bernadette, before the truth of Rodney-s death launches her into mourning. Her schoolmates don-t acknowledge what-s happened or seem even to see her, and she copes by behaving like her old pal (-Bernadette put on her protective shell, and lumbered to school-), until compassion arrives from an unexpected place. Grieving Bernadette needs someone to meet her where she is, and classmate Amar, portrayed with brown skin, is just such a person in this quiet picture book that balances mourning and remembrance. Ages 3-7. (Feb.)

K-Gr 3 A gentle look at the friendship between a young child and her pet, and inevitable loss. Rodney and Bernadette are best friends who share all of their adventures from sunup to sundown. Rodney is a wizened old tortoise with wrinkles lining his olive-green face. Bernadette is a young girl with a dark brown bob and warm brown skin. The duo eat, sleep, and play together. They enjoy games, contests, show-and-tell, and dress-up. Bernadette can tell when Rodney is smiling. He is Bernadette's faithful and loyal friend, though he moves very slowly and slower each day, until one day he stops altogether. This story of grief is honest and genuine as Bernadette struggles; she feels as though her world has stopped, while for others the world keeps whizzing by. Watercolor and pencil illustrations are charming in their simplicity. The muted palette leans heavily on grays and greens, a fitting choice for a story not only about the somber topic of loss and mourning but also about a tortoise. VERDICT A tale of grief over losing a precious pet that hits just the right note of optimism for the future. Pair with The Legend of the Rainbow Bridge and The Tenth Good Thing About Barney for readers experiencing this loss firsthand. Monisha Blair