Noelle's Treasure Tale: A New Magically Mysterious Adventure
PreSchool-Grade 1&mdash;With clunky logic and rhyme, Estefan creates a tale of a homely little bulldog's quest for treasure. After listening to her owner read about sunken Spanish galleons and a crown lost at sea, Noelle decides that she will find it during the family's vacation at the beach. Various creatures help her search, to no avail. The dog settles down for a nap and dreams about a turtle that reveals clues about the treasure's whereabouts. Noelle follows the instructions, which lead to a mound filled with newly hatched sea turtles. She protects the creatures from hungry predators and points them in the right direction. After they are safe, she digs up the lost crown. Though the author wants readers to recognize the turtles and their rescue as the true treasure, the inclusion of the crown's discovery dilutes the impact of the message. The colorful digital art is attractive but unmemorable. The CD featuring a bouncy song extolling the virtues of life around us as the real reward is the best part of this package.&mdash;Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WICopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.