Prolific picture-book author and storyteller Eric A. Kimmel takes the classic Brothers Grimm fairy-tale of The Fisherman and His Wife and transplants it to Mexico during the time of the Aztecs in this picture-book retelling. When the eponymous fisherman catches a divine turtle, he is granted a wish in return for setting his captive free. The fisherman's wife is outraged that he only asked for four fish as a prize, and sends him back with progressively more grandiose wishes - for a stone house and wealth, to be king, to be a god - until finally both the turtle and the fisherman lose their patience...

Kimmel has transplanted a number of European and Euro-American fairy and folktales to the American southwest - Little Red Hot, The Three Little Tamales, The Runaway Tortilla - but The Fisherman and the Turtle is the first of his titles that I have read to be set in Aztec Mexico. I enjoyed the story well enough, and appreciated Mexican artist Martha Aviles' colorful illustrations, created using acrylic and watercolor paint. That said, I can't help but wish that, rather than transplanting stories to these locations and cultures, Kimmel had retold stories that actually hail from such regions and peoples. Aztec lore, in particular, feels underrepresented in American children's books. Still, that is a philosophical difference I have with the storyteller, rather than a critique of the actual storytelling, so I would still recommend this to young folk and fairy-tale lovers, particularly those who enjoy such transplanted tales. ( )

A fisherman never catches more than 3 fish and when he catches a sea turtle who is the son of a god he releases him for a wish. He wished for 4 fish. His wife is outraged and tells him to go back to ask for more. She firsts asks to be rich, then to be king, then to be a god. The turtle grants each wish but the last one backfires because she became a stone carving like all the gods in Tenochtitlan.

This book is a great resource for teaching children to be careful what they wish for. It also teaches about how greed can get the better of you! The fisherman's greedy wife just couldn't be happy with one wish, she had to keep asking for more until she eventually is turned into a stone statue.

this story reminded me of a similiar story I have read but it was about a fish granting wishes and this one was about a turtle. This story dives into the aztec culture and the art brings the culture to life, I really liked the buildings featured in the book. The moral of the story, that I gathered, was beware of greed. It would be very valuable and fun to read in the classroom.

Part C/traditional literature

The story tells of an Aztec fisherman and his challenges of living with his greedy wife. One day he catches a magic talking green sea turtle. He asks the fisherman to spare his life in exchange for granting him a wish. The fisherman asks for a day's catch of four fish. However, his wife is not pleased and orders her husband to go back to the turtle to request for wealth. As a result, she becomes greedier and contintues to ask for more. The fisherman faces severe consequence for his wife's greediness.

The illustrator, Martha Aviles, uses Aztec art to prepare the illustrations--they are pleasing and lovely. The target audience is ages 4-8. I enjoyed reading this book because it sends a positive message to children: Sometimes it is better to be content with what you have than ask for something that will bring you happiness that is short-lived.