Book Discussion Guide

When Turtles Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation by Tim Tingle

When Turtles Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation

You may be familiar with the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, but the Choctaw people tell this story differently. According to their legend, the turtle wasn’t actually a turtle, but a turkey in a turtle’s shell! You and your child will be intrigued by this alternate version of the fable, noticing the similarities and differences between the two stories. Through funny dialogue between characters and illustrations loaded with action and feeling, Tim Tingle engages readers of all ages. By the end of this tale, your child will learn an important lesson about the power of helpful friends, as well as the lesson that it isn’t always the biggest or fastest that wins in the end!

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Questions To Talk About
While Reading

Vocabulary

It's important to make sure that your child has an understanding of key words in the book. Talking about words while reading is a great way for your child to learn new words.

In this book, you might talk about these words:

  • shattered (pg. 5)
  • denied (pg. 10)
  • clearing (pg. 11)
  • stammered (pg. 20)
  • churning (pg. 22)

You might use a question like:

In the book, what does the word “shattered” mean? How does the image help you understand the word?

Key Ideas and Themes

In addition to words, it's important to talk about key ideas and themes and how they develop over the course of the book.

Here are some examples to get you started:

  • 1

    After reading the entire story, compare the first page to the last. Talk about the similarities between these pages. Why was it important for the author to introduce and conclude this tale by linking it to the Choctaw people?

  • 2

    What led to Turtle’s shell becoming broken? Have your child point out in the text what caused this. Then, reread the next few pages after this event. Talk about how Turkey and Turtle respond to this challenge.

  • 3

    The author and illustrator bring a lot of feelings to life through the dialogue and images throughout the text. As you read the story, ask your child to describe what the characters are feeling. What specific words or images are used to express those feelings?

  • 4

    Throughout the tale, the author uses rhyming words. Practice reading these lines with your child, asking them to point out the words that rhyme. Try replacing a couple of the rhyming words with a synonym and then read the original language. Then ask your child, “How do these rhyming words add to the rhythm of the text?“

  • 5

    When rabbit first meets turtle he says, “I feel real fast! I’m ready to race. Who wants a little mud in his face?” Later, the text says, “For the first time ever, Rabbit couldn’t think of a thing to say.” What led to this transformation? Reread the pages in between together, discussing events and moments where Rabbit starts to show that his attitude is changing.

  • 6

    Reread the moral on the last page of the story. As a family, discuss how Turtle learned these lessons.

Extra Activities

  • 1

    Find a version of the original fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Read this story together, noting similarities and differences between the Choctaw version and the original fable. With your child, discuss how the character’s experiences differ in these two versions. Ask, “How do these differences impact the lessons learned by the characters?”
    Here are a few possible titles, which include the original fable: The Rabbit and the Turtle, retold and illustrated by Eric Carle
    The Bilingual Anthology of Aesop’s Fables, by Javier Muñoz (All stories are written in both English and Spanish!)
    Aesop’s Fables by Jerry Pinkney