You’ve probably seen Old Turtle over there in my sidebar. It was one of our favorite picture books to read when the boys were younger. The author, Douglas Wood, also wrote another picture book that we really enjoyed, Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth. These books are powerfully spiritual and suited – believe it or not – to kids of every faith, without being preachy.  

Today, I had the chance to read Douglas Wood’s Old Turtle and the Broken Truth. I am awed at the powerful simplicity that the author uses to convey a simple truth: we are all connected. The people of the world are connected in our humanity, but we are also connected to the wonders of the world; the falling stars, the trees, the oceans.  In this story, Old Turtle returns to remind us that while it’s true that “you are loved”, this truth is only half of the story.

“The Broken Truth, and life itself, will be mended only when one person meets another – someone from a different place or with a different face or different ways – and sees and hears…herself.”

If every person in the world could take a cue from the author, we just might find ourselves living the life of peace that so many of us dream of.