The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

★★★½

Aref is a young boy in Muscat, Oman (a predominantly Muslim country, though neither Islam nor religion in general are topics in this book) who is so sad to be moving to Michigan, where both his parents will be graduate students at the University of Michigan for the next 3 years. In the week leading up to his departure, he spends quality time with his grandfather, Sidi, while putting off his packing and wondering how he can possibly leave the only home he's ever known.

I have to admit, I found the book slow to start. First I had to get past the realization that the book wasn't really about a turtle. Then, I was looking forward to reading about how things would go in Michigan when my daughter told me that the book ends before the actual move. After adjusting my expectations accordingly, I realized the book is not so much a story in the conventional way, but more like a lovely, poetic homage to Oman, and to the kind of special relationship a boy can have with his grandfather.

As Aref's adventures with Sidi help him to come to terms with his upcoming move, we come to see that Aref is the "turtle of Oman"; like the turtles who "carried their homes on their backs and swam out so far and returned safely to the beach they remembered" (page 210), Aref would be packing his most favorite possessions to bring with him to America, and would return again to his beloved homeland in just a few years.

This book gave me the kind of nostalgia you feel when you are in a moment, and realize that some time in the future, you will look back on that moment and feel sad because you miss that time in your life. Aref and his grandfather create beautiful memories together, but I can't help but wonder, "What if Aref's parents need to extend their studies much longer than the expected 3 years? What if they come back, but the 3 years apart take their toll, and Aref and Sidi never regain the same close relationship? What if Sidi dies while Aref is in America?!" I guess the book isn't about any of those things, anyway.

Ultimately, a good book for anyone interested in learning about another culture, or for a child feeling anxious about an upcoming move. (Even if they don't plan to return, their love for the home they are leaving may draw them back some day.)