num_pages: 76
description: Yet more wisdom cast down from high atop Mt. Seuss, this cheerful trio of tales teaches some valuable lessons in humility--thanks to a sharp-eyed worm, a bragging bear &amp; rabbit, a fuzzy-tailed bird &amp; a couple hundred turtles led by their foolish King Yertle. Yertle's story leads off with his attempt to build a bigger kingdom on the backs of his loyal subjects (literally). King of everything he can see, Yertle orders his turtles to stack up under him to build a towering throne. ("He made each turtle stand on another one's back &amp; he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.") But a plain little turtle named Mack--stuck at the bottom--decides he's had enough. ("I know up on top you are seeing great sights, but down on the bottom we, too, should have rights!") Following Yertle's downfall, a whiny girl-bird named Gertrude McFuzz wishes she had two feathers, just like Miss Lolla-Lee-Lou: "One droopy-droop feather. That's all that she had. &amp;, oh! That one feather made Gertrude so sad." But even when Gertrude gets her wish--&amp; then some--she finds that vanity has its price. Meanwhile, in "The Big Brag," a proud rabbit &amp; an even-prouder bear duke it out in a battle of the senses, arguing over who's the best of the beasts, only to get their clever comeuppance from a wild-eyed little worm. (Ages 4-8)--Paul Hughes
language: English
title: Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
titlecomplete: Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Humor, Poetry, Childrens, Fantasy, Kids, Picture Books, Animals, Classics
ratings_count: 34921
publisher: Turtleback Books