Why the Turtle Walks So Slowly

Long ago, turtles did not have shells and were fast. In fact, Tortuga the turtle was one of the fastest runners in his village. But he was not quite as fast, or respected, as the leader of the village, Mabella. When Tortuga sees a sorcerer gift Mabella a mysterious, magical drum, he hatches a plan to steal it from her. But his jealousy will have disastrous consequences. In this retelling of a traditional Cuban folktale, learn how turtles got their shells.

Sandra Martín Denis was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and raised in California on a healthy diet of library books, museum visits, and performances at the Music Center and the Hollywood Bowl. Contrary to popular belief that no one walks in Los Angeles, she walks everywhere. That’s when she discovers different neighborhoods and gets new ideas to write about. Besides writing full-time, traveling and reading are her passions. She reads everything including food labels. This story is based on one her Abuela, a magical storyteller, used to tell Sandra.