Additional information
by Pleasant DeSpain (Author)
Turtle carries the world on her back: this story has been told by different cultures around the world for generations. Like Mother Nature, Turtle is unhurried, wise, and enduring. She walks on land, swims in water, and breathes the air--and so embodies three of the four elements of creation. We have much to learn from Turtle.The eleven stories in this collection come from Africa, India, Japan, Australia, and the Americas. "The Courting of Miss Python" tells how Turtle outwits the brutal King Python; "The Monkey's Liver" explains why Monkey never rides on Turtle's back and why Jellyfish has no spine; and "The Talkative King" tells how a chatty ruler learns from Turtle why it is often wiser to listen than to talk.READING LEVELS: Lexile Level: 760L; Guided Reading: P
Author Biography
Pleasant DeSpain has a most unusual but true name and an equally unusual but true profession - writer and storyteller. He travels the world collecting, researching, writing and retelling traditional tales from native cultures. Born in Colorado, he wrote his first original story at age eight. It was published as "The Mystery Artist" in 1996. Pleasant taught speech-literature-drama for six years at three universities, and wrote-produced-hosted an award-winning TV show called "Pleasant Journeys" on KING TV, Seattle. Now, the author of eighteen award-winning, multicultural story collections and picture books, published by August House, has a home in Troy, NY and frequently travels to spend extended periods of time in Thailand. Pleasant continues to travel the world having amazing adventures. While living in Thailand he has continued to collect more stories and is working on a new book.
