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Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise
I have always longed for the quiet life . So begins Sunny Boy’s tale. As a young tortoise, he enjoys a peaceful life – inhaling the sweet smell of orchids, reciting Latin, licking stamps – year after quiet year. But fate twists, and our hero falls into the hands of Biff the Brave, an accident-prone performer of daredevil deeds. When Biff attempts his most dangerous stunt – going over Niagara Falls in a barrel – the shy and retiring Sunny Boy is suddenly swept into history’s limelight. This wild, funny tale is based on the story of an actual tortoise who went over the falls. Exuberant watercolors full of witty details add to this celebration of the adventurous spirit that resides in us all.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 12, 2005
About the author
Candace Fleming
79 books679 followersI have always been a storyteller. Even before I could write my name, I could tell a good tale. And I told them all the time. As a preschooler, I told my neighbors all about my three-legged cat named Spot. In kindergarten, I told my classmates about the ghost that lived in my attic. And in first grade I told my teacher, Miss Harbart, all about my family's trip to Paris, France.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
I told such a good story that people always thought I was telling the truth. But I wasn't. I didn't have a three-legged cat or a ghost in my attic, and I'd certainly never been to Paris, France. I simply enjoyed telling a good story... and seeing my listener's reaction.
Sure, some people might have said I was a seven-year old fibber. But not my parents. Instead of calling my stories "fibs" they called them "imaginative." They encouraged me to put my stories down on paper. I did. And amazingly, once I began writing, I couldn't stop. I filled notebook after notebook with stories, poems, plays. I still have many of those notebooks. They're precious to me because they are a record of my writing life from elementary school on.
In second grade, I discovered a passion for language. I can still remember the day my teacher, Miss Johnson, held up a horn-shaped basket filled with papier-mache pumpkins and asked the class to repeat the word "cornucopia." I said it again and again, tasted the word on my lips. I tested it on my ears. That afternoon, I skipped all the way home from school chanting, "Cornucopia! Cornucopia!" From then on, I really began listening to words—to the sounds they made, and the way they were used, and how they made me feel. I longed to put them together in ways that were beautiful, and yet told a story.
As I grew, I continued to write stories. But I never really thought of becoming an author. Instead, I went to college where I discovered yet another passion—history. I didn't realize it then, but studying history is really just an extension of my love of stories. After all, some of the best stories are true ones — tales of heroism and villainy made more incredible by the fact they really happened.
After graduation, I got married and had children. I read to them a lot, and that's when I discovered the joy and music of children's books. I simply couldn't get enough of them. With my two sons in tow, I made endless trips to the library. I read stacks of books. I found myself begging, "Just one more, pleeeeease!" while my boys begged for lights-out and sleep. Then it struck me. Why not write children's books? It seemed the perfect way to combine all the things I loved: stories, musical language, history, and reading. I couldn't wait to get started.
But writing children's books is harder than it looks. For three years I wrote story after story. I sent them to publisher after publisher. And I received rejection letter after rejection letter. Still, I didn't give up. I kept trying until finally one of my stories was pulled from the slush pile and turned into a book. My career as a children's author had begun.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 22, 2022
I chose Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise for a tutoring component in one of my classes for my reading endorsement, and I went into the first tutoring session thinking I was going to be tutoring a fourth grade boy who was (by others' accounts) a nonreader. It turned out that this child had left the program, so I had to do a fourth grade lesson plan with a first grade student and had to adapt a lot of my questions on the fly. This is one of the reasons I love the illustrations used in this book. I was planning to use the text more than the pictures for a fourth grade lesson plan, but I needed to change that around so I could have the student go back and find evidence, and Anne Wilsdorf's illustrations do a great job of capturing emotions, especially those of Sunny Boy. This was what I based a lot of my questions around during my lesson plan, making it easier to adapt to lower grade-level standards.
This one was a lot of fun, definitely hoping to have it for my future classroom!
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
This one was a lot of fun, definitely hoping to have it for my future classroom!
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books
April 2, 2012
This is a fun and somewhat wacky story of Sunny Boy, a tortoise who outlives a horticulurist, a stamp collector, and a Latin scholar until finally he comes to live with a daredevil who takes Sunny Boy along when he goes over Niagara Falls. There is an author note at the end explaining that there really was a tortoise named Sunny Boy who went over Niagara Falls in a barrel with his owner. Wow! Just based on the facts given in the author note, I think the story of the real Sunny Boy might be even more interesting than this fictionalized version.
November 4, 2020
Sunny Boy, a tortoise who survived a trip over Niagara Falls, tells the story of his many owners through the years… because, of course, “Men do not live as long as tortoises.” From a horticulturalist, to a stamp collector, and finally, a daredevil. Don’t forget to read “The Truth Behind the Tale” in the end pages.
Teaching points: POV-1st person, character traits, adventure, creativity, unique life goals
Grade level: 3-5
Location: LES library
Related reads:
Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
Teaching points: POV-1st person, character traits, adventure, creativity, unique life goals
Grade level: 3-5
Location: LES library
Related reads:
Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming
Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming
August 12, 2017
This was such a fun story, and to find out that it was based on an actual turtle, I was completely taken with this book. Easily one of the most unforeseeable plots for a book about a turtle that I've ever encountered. Well done.
March 26, 2023
Who knew?! A tortoise that went over Niagara Falls and lived to tell the tale while the guy that he accompanied died in the barrel due to lack of oxygen. Then the tortoise lived even longer. Oh the stories he could tell.
The entertainment factor as well as the generational story of understanding the length of a tortoises life as measured by a human's life and Sunny Boy having to move around helps understand the longevity of certain animals. I actually just read that a turtle just had some tiny turtles but this particular turtle was over 90 years old.
The entertainment factor as well as the generational story of understanding the length of a tortoises life as measured by a human's life and Sunny Boy having to move around helps understand the longevity of certain animals. I actually just read that a turtle just had some tiny turtles but this particular turtle was over 90 years old.
October 10, 2017
Very funny story inspired by a true story of George Stakathis who went over Niagra Falls in a barrell.
I love the progression of the story following Sunny Boy throughout his life and adventures. Very creative twist.
I love the progression of the story following Sunny Boy throughout his life and adventures. Very creative twist.
February 6, 2020
Anne Wilsdorf's over the top illustrations are perfect with the witty writing of Candace Fleming as she tells us about Sunny Boy, a tortoise who loves orchids, stamps, and Latin. Unfortunately, tortoises live very long lives, longer than humans, and sometimes you end up with a daredevil.
February 12, 2024
Fictional story of a real tortoise that went over Niagara Falls at age 100 with its owner. He survived. His owner did not.
February 22, 2022
This one was a lot of fun!
Sunny Boy is a tortoise who loves the quiet life. He loves to bask in the sunlight and has always done so with his three previous scholarly owners Pelonius, Cornelius, and Augustus. But alas! Men do not live as long as tortoises! And so he has outlived them all and gone to live with each one's nephew. His fourth home is with Cornelius's nephew, Biff, and Biff is very different from the first three. He's a daredevil, and this scares Sunny Boy to no end. Biff takes Sunny Boy along to all of his stunts, where he fails miserably and becomes more determined. Then, he decides to try the most daring one yet: a barrel down Niagara Falls.
I chose Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise for a tutoring component in one of my classes for my reading endorsement, and I went into the first tutoring session thinking I was going to be tutoring a fourth grade boy who was (by others' accounts) a nonreader. It turned out that this child had left the program, so I had to do a fourth grade lesson plan with a first grade student and had to adapt a lot of my questions on the fly. This is one of the reasons I love the illustrations used in this book. I was planning to use the text more than the pictures for a fourth grade lesson plan, but I needed to change that around so I could have the student go back and find evidence, and Anne Wilsdorf's illustrations do a great job of capturing emotions, especially those of Sunny Boy. This was what I based a lot of my questions around during my lesson plan, making it easier to adapt to lower grade-level standards.
It's also great that this book has content that is relevant and enjoyable to students at many different levels. When I was looking for a book for this first tutoring session, I wanted to choose the least assumptive book I could find that could work for a fourth grader's level. By that I mean that I didn't want any books that focused on any particular real-world problem or had a particular topic focus beyond just "adventure" or something else vague. I found Sunny Boy! at the curriculum library at my university, and it seemed like a good choice.
I'm glad I found this one, because I had a lot of fun with it. It's definitely something I'd want to use in my future classroom with students at any level first grade through fourth or fifth.
*
Sunny Boy is a tortoise who loves the quiet life. He loves to bask in the sunlight and has always done so with his three previous scholarly owners Pelonius, Cornelius, and Augustus. But alas! Men do not live as long as tortoises! And so he has outlived them all and gone to live with each one's nephew. His fourth home is with Cornelius's nephew, Biff, and Biff is very different from the first three. He's a daredevil, and this scares Sunny Boy to no end. Biff takes Sunny Boy along to all of his stunts, where he fails miserably and becomes more determined. Then, he decides to try the most daring one yet: a barrel down Niagara Falls.
I chose Sunny Boy!: The Life and Times of a Tortoise for a tutoring component in one of my classes for my reading endorsement, and I went into the first tutoring session thinking I was going to be tutoring a fourth grade boy who was (by others' accounts) a nonreader. It turned out that this child had left the program, so I had to do a fourth grade lesson plan with a first grade student and had to adapt a lot of my questions on the fly. This is one of the reasons I love the illustrations used in this book. I was planning to use the text more than the pictures for a fourth grade lesson plan, but I needed to change that around so I could have the student go back and find evidence, and Anne Wilsdorf's illustrations do a great job of capturing emotions, especially those of Sunny Boy. This was what I based a lot of my questions around during my lesson plan, making it easier to adapt to lower grade-level standards.
It's also great that this book has content that is relevant and enjoyable to students at many different levels. When I was looking for a book for this first tutoring session, I wanted to choose the least assumptive book I could find that could work for a fourth grader's level. By that I mean that I didn't want any books that focused on any particular real-world problem or had a particular topic focus beyond just "adventure" or something else vague. I found Sunny Boy! at the curriculum library at my university, and it seemed like a good choice.
I'm glad I found this one, because I had a lot of fun with it. It's definitely something I'd want to use in my future classroom with students at any level first grade through fourth or fifth.
*
January 22, 2012
Sunny Boy the Tortoise is captured from his warm sunny home and delivered to New York City. Instead of becoming turtle soup, he becomes the pet of Pelonius Pimplewhite and a succession of nephews. Sunny Boy has a lovely life, basking in gardens and learning Latin, until Biff adopts him and decides to take him over Niagara Falls. Sunny Boy survives the journey, learns to love a bit of adventure and ends up being cared for by the scholarly girl of his dreams.
This lovely and sweet story is a nice compliment to Van Allsburg's most excellent Queen of the Falls. Recommended for K - grade 3.
***Update Feb 2012. I used this as part of a Candace Fleming author study. First, I had my students learn about Niagara Falls using World Book Student. Then I read the book, encouraging students to consider who made the best owner for Sunny Boy. We reflected on the author's note, which explains the history of Sunny Boy (a real tortoise!) and Niagara Falls. Several students made connections to Van Allsburg's Queen of the Falls, which was especially exciting because this is not a book I had read to them.
And finally, every single class I read this to makes the same connection that I do: the explorer who captures Sunny Boy on the second page of the story reminds us of Curious George's Man with the Big Yellow Hat. A lovely way to start a wonderful story.
This lovely and sweet story is a nice compliment to Van Allsburg's most excellent Queen of the Falls. Recommended for K - grade 3.
***Update Feb 2012. I used this as part of a Candace Fleming author study. First, I had my students learn about Niagara Falls using World Book Student. Then I read the book, encouraging students to consider who made the best owner for Sunny Boy. We reflected on the author's note, which explains the history of Sunny Boy (a real tortoise!) and Niagara Falls. Several students made connections to Van Allsburg's Queen of the Falls, which was especially exciting because this is not a book I had read to them.
And finally, every single class I read this to makes the same connection that I do: the explorer who captures Sunny Boy on the second page of the story reminds us of Curious George's Man with the Big Yellow Hat. A lovely way to start a wonderful story.
January 17, 2008
Sunny Boy, a tortoise, tells the humorous story of his long life with various owners, from horticulturist Pelonious to daredevil Biff, who takes Sunny Boy along for the ride when he goes over Niagra Falls in a barrel. An end note reveals the surprising truth behind the unlikely tale, that a 100-year-old tortoise named Sunny Boy did, indeed, survive a trip over the Falls in a barrel in 1930 (his human companion did not). Wilsdorf does a bang-up job with her margin-to-margin watercolor-and-ink illustrations, colorfully contrasting Sunny Boy’s peaceful existence with his first three owners and his tension-filled time with Biff through the tortoise’s range of comical facial expressions. The end papers depicting eight persons who actually went over Niagra Falls might inspire a research project on the Falls, comparing the various “vehicles” of those who’ve gone over them. For extra science fun, follow the research with an egg-drop contest and identify the similarities between Falls survivors’ barrels and the unbroken-egg containers.
February 10, 2017
I thought this story was a lot of fun, outlining each of the turtle's quirky owners with a twist in sunny boy's fate coming with his fourth owner before being able to set into a (mostly) sedate life once more. It did, however, call into question the life span of turtles, as he outlives at least three generations of this family without any sign of slowing down.
Also, the similarity between the poacher at the beginning of this story with a similar character in Curious George was fun.
Also, the similarity between the poacher at the beginning of this story with a similar character in Curious George was fun.
November 19, 2012
I really like this fable! This book holds a funny story about a tortoise who longs for "slow-paced days and basking on sun-warmed rocks." What tortoise would want anything else? But this tortoise, named Sunny Boy, finds himself fraternizing with a few different interesting folks until he is inherited by a a daredevil and is forced to live the antithesis of the quiet life.
I think Fleming really has a wonderful imagination and I like her method of putting it to page. At the end of the story there's short essay about the real tortoise that she based this story on, which I found fascinating, as well.
The lesson to be learned is that sometimes you've got to step out of your comfort zone.
This is a fun book that I think would do well for a lapsit or a storytime with school-aged kids and maybe precocious preschoolers.
I think Fleming really has a wonderful imagination and I like her method of putting it to page. At the end of the story there's short essay about the real tortoise that she based this story on, which I found fascinating, as well.
The lesson to be learned is that sometimes you've got to step out of your comfort zone.
This is a fun book that I think would do well for a lapsit or a storytime with school-aged kids and maybe precocious preschoolers.
Read
February 4, 2016A tortoise who enjoys the sedate life is bagged in the jungle to be sent off to a restaurant and made into soup. He doesn't make it to the restaurant but is taken home by a horticulturist who names the tortoise Sunny Boy. Sunny Boy enjoys his quiet life but outlives the horticulturist and is passed down from nephew to nephew, each of whom enjoys quiet pastimes such as stamp-collecting and reading Latin. Sunny Boy outlives them both and ends up with a nephew who has a taste for daredevil antics. This rocks Sunny Boy's world who longs for his previous sedate owners. But he can't help but feel a thrill when this nephew takes him over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. Told in the tortoise's first-person voice, a tone that goes from contented to shocked and resigned dismay.
August 1, 2012
A story told from the Sunny Boy's POV and Sunny Boy is a tortoise. He outlives all his human 'owners' and studies human behavior closely. Sunny Boy is snatched away from the forest into human world. He enjoys the activities of his owners- smelling orchids, basking in sunlight, reciting Latin verbs, and licking stamps....until he is inherited by Biff, a stuntman. His most dangerous stunt was to jump over the Niagara falls in a barrell. Biff never lived to tell the tale, and Sunny Boy never told his. A whismical picture book.
October 18, 2011
I found this book very interesting. There is truth behind this tale. A tortoise really did go over Niagara Falls with his owner and survive. The name and other events in the book maybe fiction, but this book could be used to get shildren interested in learning about the beauty and wonder of Niagara Falls. The end of the book has a little exerpt about the 15 peoplle who have went down Niagara Falls.
January 16, 2016
Sunny Boy the tortoise has led a quiet and uneventful life with a variety of men whose interest range from gardening to stamp collecting to Latin. And he loves his life with each one, but keeps outliving them. He is eventually willed to Biff who is a dare-devil and turns Sunny Boy's life into chaos. Biff teaches Sunny Boy how to enjoy thrills, but also realizes the tortoise needs the quiet life too.
Nice illustrations.
Nice illustrations.
June 17, 2014
As tortoises live a lot longer than humans, they are apt to having more experiences than we are. This book is based loosely on a real tortoise who went over Niagra Falls with his owner. For a tortoise who likes the slow life, this event was incredibly invigorating!
Good for preschool storytimes.
Good for preschool storytimes.
November 22, 2011
Good book for a storytime. Exciting, good pictures. Based on a true story.
Sunny Boy wishes for a quiet life. All was okay until he outlived his gentle owners and Biff the Brave adopted him. Sunny Boy was surprised when he got a thrill out of going over Niagra Falls in a barrel.
Sunny Boy wishes for a quiet life. All was okay until he outlived his gentle owners and Biff the Brave adopted him. Sunny Boy was surprised when he got a thrill out of going over Niagra Falls in a barrel.
December 9, 2011
A fun, enjoyable book about the owners a tortoise goes through within his lifetime. It includes a nonfiction sketch at the end of the book that talks about Sunny Boy going over Niagara Falls with one of his owners and what happened afterwards.
March 27, 2014
This story follows the life of a tortoise and his owners and the adventures that they take him on. Tortoise's have incredibly long life spans and so we are able to travel through many times in history with Sunny Boy. This book is fun for students but also addresses many historical events.
August 13, 2010
This is a fun children's book that I first discovered in Virginia. We picked it up again at the library to celebrate our new pet--Toby the Tortoise! Cute book.
August 20, 2011
Made me want to learn more about the real Sunny Boy. Also, how cool would it be to visit a museum and see a tortoise just kind of wandering around?!
March 4, 2012
I love this book! After visiting the falls, and hearing tidbits of history while getting drenched on the boat, I have always been a bit fascinated by the people who go over on purpose!
April 2, 2012
Good choice for elementary read a loud.
December 18, 2012
Told from the perspective of a tortoise, who eventually went over Niagara Falls. Fun to read, nice endnotes.
February 13, 2013
Really fun book to read to your little ones. Highly recommended!!
July 29, 2014
Unpredictable adventures of a tortoise. Love the sly Curious George inspired illustrations on some pages.
February 2, 2010
True story. Had no ideaa tortoise had gone over Niagara Falls. Fun to read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews