When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation

by Tim Tingle, Stacey Schuett

Maybe you think you know the story of the big race between Rabbit and Turtle. Think again! In this story from the Choctaw People, Tim Tingle shows that it was not being slow and steady that won Turtle the big race, it was those feathers!!!

Genres: Picture Books, Native American, Indigenous, Animals, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published December 21, 2006

About the author

Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a popular presenter at storytelling and folklore festivals across America. He was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In 2004, he was a Teller-In-Residence at The International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough, Tennessee. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Folktale from the Choctaw Nation is a Native American twist on the Tortoise and the Hare story. In this version Turkey accidently breaks Turtle’s shell and so Turtle has to take it off. Unfortunately, Turkey gets stuck in the shell and ends up racing Rabbit.
This was a very simple story that is appropriate for pre-schoolers and beginning readers. The artwork was colorful, but not particularly memorable. Other than the title and a sentence about it being a Choctaw tale, there isn’t anything that would indicate that this was a Native American tale. I preferred Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle.
Since this is a unique twist to an old tale, it makes it a good book for a genre study or for comparing tales, much in the same way a teacher might use the True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. This could also be used as an introduction to a writing activity, whereby students take a known fairy tale and create their own twist.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever! Impulse grab from my son's Oklahoma City library; glad I got it. Should be more widely read as it's so fun and it gets 'diversity' aka 'multicultural' points. Three "sources" listed in lieu of notes.

[Trevor Persons · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Turtle Grew Feathers is a contemporary traditional child literature book based on the Choctaw version of the folktale The Tortoise and the Hare. The book follows the original folktale but does differ a great deal. The book starts off with a turtle laying in the tall grass but is then disturbed by a turkey stepping on his back. The turtle, now in distress due to his cracked back, begins to argue with the turkey which causes them to have a verbal altercation. The turtle realizes they should not fight, but instead be friendly, and the turkey agrees and the turkey offers to repair his shell. The turkey's shell is now as good as new, and the turkey tries the shell on but before he gives the shell back, he is confronted by a Hare, challenging him for a race. The turkey, disguised as the turtle agrees, to the race. As the race is about to begin, the turkey, who is still hiding in his shell, begins to reveal to the hare that he is actually a turkey. As the race begins, before the hare can even move, the turkey completes the race, leaving the hare, speechless. This book has two important messages, one direct and one not-so-direct. The direct one, which is told by the author, states how you do not have to be the biggest to win, but having friends is beneficial. The second message I noticed is that one should not be cocky and shouldn't judge a book by its cover. This is shown when the Hare challenges the supposed turtle saying how he is faster than him and how he is just a slowpoke but he was surely mistaken. This was a WOW book for me because the messages in this book are incredibly important, not only for children but for adults as well. Literary devices were used heavily throughout the book but an example of a literary device in the book would be the heavy use of imagery. An example of imagery used in the book is how the narrator described how the turtle's shell was repaired, with the silks from the cornfield to mend it back together. The writing craft is the story is good and is used well to help improve the story. Good dialogue and pacing is used to make a more gripping story. An example would be during the start of the race, where when the hare is counting down, the turkey begins to reveal himself slowly to build suspension and to get the reader engaged. This book is a great example of anti-bias language as animals are used in place of humans to prevent any issues of bias. Furthermore, no offensive or derogatory language is used that could be offensive to the reader.

[Brianna Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story reminded me of the classic tortoise and hare story I read as a child. This one is slightly different though. This story is about the rabbit wanting to race against the turtle full of arrogance. The turtle receives assistance from a Turkey which is why the story is named “When Turtle grew feathers”. The major themes in this book were that slow and steady wins the race and the importance of friendship. The main genre of this book is traditional literature. Through reading this book, children can learn about how to help your friends and how friends sometimes can help you too. This book was a WOW book for me because of the connection I had to it reading the other version of it as a child. I always enjoyed the concept and theme of the story I read so it was nice to read this one with a little twist.
An example of writing craft that is used sometimes throughout this story is rhyming words. It is a good concept to have in this story and can bring attention to some of the lines in the book. I would consider this book an anti-bias book because it had non-stereotypical characters since they were all animals.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: Picture book
Age level: Elementary
Protagonist: Turtle and Turkey

Review:
This is the Choctaw version of The Tortoise and the Hare. It tells how Rabbit came to challenge someone to a race and picked on Turtle. Little did he know, Turkey was actually inside Turtle's shell.

The pictures in this book are very bright, colorful, and engaging. The majority of the illustrations span two pages at a time, leaving no white space left over. In the few instances where each page has a separate illustration, the pictures are smaller and have a clear border. This makes it obvious which part of the story is being pictured.

The expressions on the characters are quite life-life and very clearly convey emotions; they really make the animals come to life.

Rabbit mostly speaks in verse, while the rest of the story is prose. I think his rhyming adds a lyrical quality to the story that would be enjoyed by young children.

This book could easily find a place in a unit of folktales and fables.

[Kelly Tannhauser]

A well-known folktale of the Turtle and the Hare told a different way originally from the Choctaw people. With similar characteristics about the mean Rabbit asking the slow Turtle to race. Though this version adds an interesting twist creating new elements and a different take on things. Beautifully illustrated with full-page depictions, this story tells a very well known folktale and gives it a different spin. I think it would be very beneficial because it has a good moral but it is slightly unexpected, so if students have heard the story before I think they would really enjoy it because it is slightly different.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Age: preschool-second grade
Media: acrylic paint
Illustrator Style: Large, bold images of three main characters--makes it easy for youngins to focus on singular objects

An interesting realtion to the fable of the Hare and the Tortoise, this Chocktaw tale explains why turtles shells are cracked and why we never see Rabbit racing Turtle today. This has a very didactic undertone of cooperation while incorporating the trickster who finally shows the bully not to mess with physically weaker animals.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations look scary & mean to me - not a fan. Course, most of these characters act kinda mean too. Not really an attitude I'd want my kid picking up on throuh repeated reads. The book starts out with 6-7 pages of (mostly) dialogue written in a really awkward verse. Thankfully it switches to prose after that and things improve slightly. Still, not one I'd want to read again.

[L M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this twist on the tale of the Tortoise and Hare! In this book, rather than beginning with the Tortoise and Hare, it begins with a Turkey and Tortoise. While the Turkey was walking around and the Tortoise was peacefully lounging in the grass, Turkey accidentally stepped on the tortoise, causing a crack in his once beautiful shell (ouch!). The tortoise got up immediately and exclaimed how the Turkey ruined his shell, however, the Turkey denied any fault as he did not see the tortoise sleeping. Before the Turkey could fly off, the tortoise forgave the Turkey and called a truce. With this truce, the Turkey called upon the ants to help fix the Tortoise’s shell, and there a friendship was formed. After the Tortoises’ beautiful shell was restored, the Turkey had shared how much he liked the Tortoise’s shiny shell. The Tortoise offered to let him try it on and the Turkey obliged. All of a sudden, a bunch of tiny turtles came running in disarray and exclaimed how the rabbit was coming and that he was looking for a race. Unfortunately for Turkey, he was still in the shell and had no time to take it off. He could only hide in his new home and hope the Rabbit would ignore him. With the rest of the turtles hidden in the grass, the Rabbit came in and challenged the Turkey to a race. Turkey remained quiet, but the Tortoise hidden in the grass accepted the race which surprised the rabbit due to his competitive tone. Both the Turkey and Rabbit lined up to race, both agreeing that the first one to make a full circle around the lake would win. While counting down, the Turkey spread his legs and stuck his long neck out, making the Rabbit quite nervous. Right when the race began, the Turkey took off, leaving the Rabbit to cough in his dust. Before he knew it, the Turkey was flying down and landing right next to the Rabbit, he had won the race! Rabbit, in his shock, was baffled as he had never seen a turtle do that or had ever lost a race. He hopped away without saying a word and he never challenged a turtle again! I would say that the main themes of this story was the importance of friendship, specifically the power of having helpful friends, the act of forgiveness, and that you do not have to be the “biggest” or “fastest” to win in the end! Forgiveness is shown when the Turkey and Tortoise reconcile. Rather than remaining mad at one another, they both decide to apologize and forgive one another, causing a friendship to form! Furthermore, the theme of having helpful friends is shown when the Turkey obliges to a race and beats the hare! The turtles will no longer be bothered with the Rabbit and his challenges. And lastly, with the traditional message of the Turtle and Hare, you do not need to be the “biggest” or “fastest” one to win in the end or be successful, you just need to try your absolute best and have fun! The main genre of this book is Traditional Literature as it is based on the folktale of the “Tortoise and Hare.” Children reading this book could learn many great lessons from this tale! For starters, they could learn the importance of friendship, specifically the importance of having friends who help you and have your back, as well as helping friends themselves. Secondly, children can learn the importance of forgiveness and the act of apologizing. As the Turtle and Turkey got on the wrong foot, the Turtle was able to forgive the Turkey for cracking his shell and the Turkey was able to apologize and even help the Turtle fix his shell. This book was a WOW book for me because I personally love the folktale of the Tortoise and Hare, and I found this take on the story to be quite engaging and beneficial to children as well. The illustrations were beautifully done, and children can learn many life lessons from this book itself!

I noticed quite a few literary devices with the story. Some of them being onomatopoeia, similes, idiom, and rhymes. The use of Onomatopoeia (“Currr-rack! Currr-rack!” “Screech” “Hip-hoppity”) provided more excitement and action in the story – it engages the reader as it acts as a sensory effect, the reader feels as though they are in the story. The use of similes (“My shell is shattered like glass,” “His eyes were as big as little bitty turtle shells”) and idiom (“In the flick of an eye”) also enhanced the story as with the use of similes, the reader is able to visualize two concepts being compared (are able to better understand – like how shocked the rabbit was to lose and how broken the turtle’s shell was). Additionally, the use of idiom showed just how fast the rabbit was. Lastly, the use of rhyme (“I feel real fast, I’m ready to race, who wants a little mud in his face?”) made the text more pleasurable, it made it flow. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book as it broadens the perspective of children. To further elaborate, it is the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare; however, it is the interpretation from the Choctaw Nation. When it comes to folktales and traditional literature, almost every culture has their own twist or take to the story, so it is quite important to read folktales from all cultures and not primarily stick to one interpretation/side. This book is ultimately an anti-bias book as it allows children to discover and see valuable insights into other culture’s values, beliefs, and customs.

[Amanda Nuchols · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am Choctaw, so I was thrilled when my mother-in-law sent us this Choctaw version of the old Tortoise and the Hare fable. The only problem is that the story seems a little silly and the illustrations are below par. My daughter enjoys it well enough, but she doesn't pick this one out very often.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun version of the tortoise and the hare. It is a Choctaw tale and would be good for those looking to compare across cultures. I enjoyed the story, though I wasn't a huge fan of the rhyming bits.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Choctaw version of the Tortoise and the Hare.

It turns out, Turkey was checking out Turtle's shell when Rabbit came by and challenged him to a race. Instead of Rabbit winning easily, Turkey/Turtle flew by Rabbit.

As you might expect, the moral is a little different.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the greatest illustrations (not particularly striking, I mean) nor the most memorable writing, but it's a good story time read. The kids enjoyed it, and it was nice having something a little out of their usual to include.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Choctaw variant of Aesop's fable "The Tortoise and the Hare"

animals - rabbit, turtle, turkey; manners/being nice; friends

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is meant to be told in an oral tradition. Children love to see the turtle fly and win the race!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this story and how it presents a different version of a more well known tale. It is a good example of the way stories change and are adapted around the world in different cultures.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a porqoi tale that explains a day that turtle grew feathers (a spin off of the classic folktale, tortoise and the hare). Also in Longwood Public Library's Tumblebooks library.

[Alexandria Hiam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a porqoi tale that explains a day that turtle grew feathers (a spin off of the classic folktale, tortoise and the hare). Also in Longwood Public Library's Tumblebooks library.

[Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could this picture book be any more charming and funny?

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly, rollicking Choctaw version of the Hare and the Tortoise. Will appeal to younger readers. Great read aloud.

[Sarah Giaccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Turtle Grew Feathers is a children’s book written by Tim Tingle and illustrated by Stacy Schuett. In this book, a turtle is resting on the ground when a turkey accidentally steps on its shell, breaking it. The turtle and the turkey become friends, and the turkey asks some ants to repair the shell. Turtle offers to let turkey try on the shell which turkey agrees to. After putting the shell on, five small turtles come up and tell them to hide because a rabbit is coming and wants to race. Eventually turtle agrees to race the rabbit without the rabbit knowing that turkey is still in turtle's shell. The turkey spreads its wings and flies around the lake in the turtle’s shell before the rabbit even has a chance to take off, meaning that the turtle has won the race. The major themes in this book were friendship and cultural heritage. Friendship can be seen by turkey participating in the race instead of turtle, teaching the rabbit to never underestimate anyone. The theme of cultural heritage comes into play by the popular book the Rabbit and the Hare being retold so that many people can hear the Choctaw nation’s version of the tale. We are able to see the importance of the older generation sharing their knowledge with the younger generation by this story being passed down. The main genre of this book is traditional literature. Through reading this book children can learn that they should never underestimate someone/make assumptions about a person. Children can also learn about friendships and how people can work together to reach a goal by using their different strengths. This book is a WOW book for me because I was able to read a new version of the tale and learn another lesson that adds on to the lesson that I learnt when reading the Rabbit and the Hare.

Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were personification and folkloric elements. The animals in the story were given human-like characteristics and communicated with each other like how humans would. By including this, it makes it easier for children to relate to the characters in the book and find a deeper understanding of the book. The folkloric elements were important to this story because it helps the audience learn an important lesson about friendship and never underestimating someone which might be hard to explain to children without having a story to help with the explanation. The author portrayed anti-bias perspective in the book by using animals instead of people so that no one could make assumptions or say that a specific group of people was being discriminated against simply because of how they were represented in the book.

[Meghan Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people know the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. This book has a different twist on the classic tale! When Turtles Grew Feathers by Tim Tingle is the Choctaw Nations twist on the fable. While it is very similar to the known story, it does have its own distinct differences. In the beginning, Turtle’s back crack... Literally. Turkey accidentally stepped on turtle's shell! This leads to a disagreement, but eventually they realize arguing is pointless. Turkey offers to repair the shell and manages to do so! Where things go even worse is when Turkey decides to try on the shell... Obviously a normal thing to do! Suddenly, Hare comes up to Turkey, who is wearing Turtle’s shell, and challenges him to a race. Turkey agrees and wears the shell to stay disguised. As the race begins, Turkey takes off and finishes the race before the stunned Hare can even move. This book holds the valuable and commonly heard message “don’t judge a book by its cover”. The Hare was so confident he was going to beat Turtle until he got proven wrong. This book is traditional literature as it is a spin of the classic fable The Tortoise and the Hare. Children could learn so many valuable things from this story. Mainly the theme I mentioned earlier. Not judging people based off appearance is so important. Some students may not be used to different genders, ethnicities, religion, and so many other characteristics. However, these people may be some of the nicest people you could meet. Everyone has a story to share. Having children or adults share a common stereotype that they hear about themselves and debunking it would be a fun and eye-opening activity. The messages in this book are what make it a WOW book for me. They do not only apply to children, but adults too. This book is also easy to read and could be read to preschoolers.

Tim Tingle is a very witty guy. The use of humor in this book is what makes it so engaging. Another literary device Tingle uses is a lot of imagery. This book is so vivid, and the text really shares what is going on in the still photos behind it. The use of animals and not human helps this book not contain any bias as it is hard to be bias of animals. The author also avoids using disrespectful language. Overall, this book is witty and snappy, an amazing read!

[Taylor Yim · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation” by Tim Tingle gives readers a glimpse into Choctaw storytelling and their ways of sharing important life lessons through storytelling. In this book, it is the Choctaw people’s take on the familiar fable The Tortoise and the Hare. According to their legend, the turtle was not actually a turtle but a turkey hiding in a turtle’s shell. The major themes in the book were forgiveness and empathy. Turtle shows the importance of forgiveness. When his shell was broken, he was angry at Turkey but later chose to forgive and ask for a truce. This decision not only helps Turtle but builds a friendship to outsmart the rabbit. Another important theme is to show empathy. In the beginning, Rabbit thought he could easily win the race against Turtle due to his slow pace. However, as Turtle transforms into having wings, feathers, and legs and wins the race, Rabbit learns the hard way that he should not judge others based on their appearances. The main genre of this book is traditional literature. Through reading this book, I learned that it showed the most unlikely friendship that can form when we choose to forgive and respect each other. his book was a WOW book for me because I enjoyed the rendition of the traditional tale of The Tortoise and the Hare, and even though it had a slight twist to the ending, it still showed the same themes and important life lessons from the original story.
Two literary devices the author used in writing this book were rhyme and personification. Tingle often uses rhyme to give a rhythmic flow that makes the story engaging to readers. For example, fight/right, crack/back, shell/swell, race/face, and glass/grass rhyme. Tingle also uses personification that gives all the animal characters human-like qualities. This helps readers connect to the characters and understand their feelings and actions throughout the story. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it teaches children not to judge others based on their appearances and instead highlights the importance of respecting one another and their differences. This book also encourages us to embrace our unique qualities regardless of how others see them.

[Madisson Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book we get to see the beginning of a fight lead into friendship. A turkey breaks a turtle’s shell without the intent of owning up to his actions and apologizing. Before the turkey could turn away the turtle realized that things didn’t have to end on such bad terms, so the turtle called a truce. Both parties didn’t see the joy in fighting and ended up being friends which also led to the turkey trying on the turtle’s shell. A rabbit with the nastiest attitude shows up challenging anyone in his sight to a race. Without a second thought we can see the turkey step up to the plate, pretend to be the turtle when racing the rabbit and then make the rabbit feel humiliated. The major themes in my eyes were to accept who you are and value the friendships that you have. At the end of the race the turtle wasn’t sad that he wasn’t the biggest or fastest, but he was appreciative of the turkey pretending to be him and winning the race to show the rabbit that he shouldn’t be too cocky and rude towards others. The main genre of this book is folklore. Children reading this book could learn how to treat others and how to not act. When reading this book, they could point out certain behaviors they see within each character that they know a friend shouldn’t portray and any tactics they should avoid when interacting with others. Like the rabbit, don’t come off as arrogant or pushy and be nice! This book was a WOW book for me because it gave a different way of looking at things compared to the fable story we all know ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’. From this book it was more of the theme, be grateful for who you surround yourself with because they influence the person you are and appreciate the things you have to offer to the table even if it is different from everyone else.
A writing craft technique I noticed in the book came from the title alone which ties the story together but also shows that the turtle did grow feathers by finally realizing that he may not have the best attributes but he’s grateful to be what he is. Another technique used was onomatopoeia, it wasn’t much but reading those phrases kind of helped me imagine what was happening in the book a little better.

[Onkar Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Turtle Grew Feathers by Tim Tingle is a fun and refreshing twist on the classic “Tortoise and the Hare” story. Rooted in Choctaw tradition, this retelling feels alive with humor, wisdom, and a sense of connection to a rich storytelling history. It’s a great example of traditional literature stories passed down through generations and it gives a new perspective to a tale we all thought we knew. What makes this book stand out is how much fun it is. Tingle’s storytelling feels like sitting around a fire and listening to someone tell a tale they’ve perfected over time. In this version, Turtle isn’t just slow and steady; he's clever, resourceful, and gets a little unexpected help from Turkey, who adds his own hilarious twist to the famous race. It’s fresh, funny, and a reminder that there’s always more than one way to tell a story. The illustrations by Stacey Schuett are just as lively as the story. They’re bright and full of energy, with expressive animals that practically leap off the page. Every detail feels carefully crafted to pull you into Turtle’s world, making the story even more engaging and memorable. What I love most about When Turtle Grew Feathers is how it bridges cultures and time. It takes a story many of us know and makes it something completely new, while also honoring its Choctaw roots. It’s a fun way to think about how stories evolve and how they carry lessons, humor, and community across generations. This isn’t just a book for kids, it's for anyone who enjoys a great story. Whether you’re reading it aloud, sharing it with family, or just enjoying it yourself, it’s the kind of tale that sticks with you. It’s clever, entertaining, and leaves you thinking about how stories shape the way we see the world. If you’re looking for a book that will make you smile and give you a fresh perspective on a timeless tale, When Turtle Grew Feathers is a fantastic pick. It’s a celebration of creativity, culture, and the joy of storytelling.

[Alexandra Castro-Velez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old tales with a new twist always catch my attention and this book was no exception! In this story we get to see a little back story from the folktale we all know and love, The tortoise and The Hare. The story has a cool Native American perspective and we learn that the reason why the slow tortoise won the race is because it was actually Turkey and because Turtle grew feathers. The major themes in this book were forgiveness and perspective. For example the book demonstrates forgiveness when Turtle decides to forgive Turkey and make the most of the situation. The book demonstrates a theme of perspective when the audience thinks one thing because of one side of the story, but we get to see how things were “in reality” because of another perspective. The main genre of the book is folklore. Children reading this book could learn about the power of forgiveness and how appearances can be deceiving. This is a WOW book for me just because it was so interesting to hear another perspective of a story I’ve heard from my childhood.

The two literary devices used in this book were rhyming text and personification. For example when the author keeps on rhyming for the characters dialogue it keeps the story almost like a song, and he uses personification when he gives the animals humor and emotions. These added to the quality because it made the book more lively and engaging.

I would say that this is an anti bias book because of the different show of Native American perspective to the story.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

This tale from the Choctaw nation (specifically Louisiana Choctaws in 1909) is BRILLANT. If you want something fun to read to kids in November, this book is that. . .it ties in with November being indigenous peoples month, and that Day We Eat Turkey (and should think about that, says the Vegans). . . .my group loved this book. It turns the Rabbit / Turtle rivalry upside down.

Ha!! check it out. I wished I'd had a feather for each of my crew before I started reading - ah well. Hindsight is always last to the party, right?

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Louisiana Choctaw version of the race between a tortoise and a hare, featuring a turkey, a bonus of explaining why turtles have cracked-looking shells, and a moral related to friendship and cooperation.

[Morgan Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Literature

A unique feature of this book is that is rhymes subtly

I would use this book for K-3

[Claudia Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this was so much fun! Such a silly take on a classic. The rhyming added a new element to the story and overall a new lesson to what is seen as a classic "tortoise and hare" tale.