Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend
Review posted May 20, 2025.
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025. 40 pages.
Review written May 20, 2025, from a library book.
Starred Review
This book is. So. Silly. I love it!
This is a book with a bizarre situation, played straight. You really do have to read it yourself (or in story time!) to fully appreciate it. But I'll give you the idea.
The main character is in a bear suit with a very large mouth. You can see a green head centered in the mouth. We figure out from the title this is Bearsuit Turtle.
As the book begins, Bearsuit Turtle is sitting on a swing, hanging still. We see another turtle coming out of the trees, and Bearsuit Turtle says, "Hey, gimme a push."
But when we turn the page, we get this exchange:
Be careful, I'm a for-real bear. Scary, right?
No way! I'm a for-real bear expert, and you are NOT a for-real bear.
But Bearsuit Turtle has evidence!
Oh yeah? Got any honey?
No.
That's because I ate it.
Other evidence includes climbing a tree to the top and back to the bottom while the other turtle's eyes are closed (because bears don't like to show off).
The turtle is still skeptical, since he could be a super-round squirrel, but then Bearsuit Turtle hibernates on command.
So then they start doing things that the for-real bear expert says bears like to do - foraging (getting ice cream at a truck), bicycling, and smashing pumpkins.
But when something comes up that the expert doesn't know if bears like - they both make a confession.
I hope I'm not destroying the suspense if I quote my very favorite page:
It's okay. I also have something shocking to share.
Look, there's no good way to say this, but I'm not just a for-real bear. I'm pretty sure I'm maybe also a turtle.
A WHAT? This day has been a roller coaster. I don't even know what to believe anymore.
But one thing the new friends do know - they truly enjoy doing things together.
So much fun. So silly. Try this one out with a kid.