Timely Umit Upturns Tim

by Mary Catherine Rolston, Keith Cains (Illustrations)

"Tim again mustered up courage-his pulse pattering, he poked out his little head. Seeing a large head with two glassy yellow eyes stirred feelings of dread. A fang-decorated smile left him feeling vulnerable and cold. Tension in Timmy's tummy popped as the cat hissed, "Wow, what do I behold!"

In 1950s Turkey, along the banks of the Dalyan River, lives a timid, tender, tolerant, thankful, thoughtful yet socially awkward turtle. Poor Tim is misunderstood by the other animals, so he is a lonely, grumpy fellow. One day a monsoon causes the river to flood, sweeping Tim upstream where he is deposited on a furry striped rug- it's Umit, a tiger and potential predator who offers to help him. Should Tim trust Umit? Will Umit be a tiger of his word and deliver Tim home, or will Tim have the same fate as the classic gingerbread man? Can Tim's courage carry him to a new outlook? This charming children's book uses rhyme and the alliterative sounds of "T" words to help build vocabulary while also raising awareness of the plight of the Caspian tiger and loggerhead turtle....

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 11, 2018

About the author

Mary Catherine Rolston, MC, a.k.a Fairy Dazzle, is a retired kindergarten teacher. MC loves to write with rhyme, alliteration, and rich vocabulary while celebrating the awestruck wonderment of childhood. Her books are first and foremost meant to be read out loud, drawing children and adults to the magic of the spoken story. Her poem "Fallen Starfish" placed 34th in the Writer's Digest 5th Annual Poetry Awards in 2010. All her published work is supported by follow-up activities and resources which can be found on her website. Her blog offers additional support, reflections and activities on a variety of teaching and family life topics. Her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHk3... also provides video readings. Have you wrestled with your own creativity? Check out the film she produced with Doug Lenz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4xi8...

Reviews

[Kathryn Kimmins]

Timely Umit Upturns Tim is a story of two unlikely to be friends story about Tim the turtle who has lost his way, not only geographically but in life. Nature pays a visit to Tim and he wakes up after a torrential rainstorm and meets up with an unexpected friend, Umit, a Caspian Tiger.
Together they bond in the most incredible way, changing Tim's look on life and changing the lives of everyone forever.

We can learn from this delightful story and incorporate the lessons learned by Umit and Tim.

Once again, Mary Catherine's unique writing style leaves us mesmerized, while Keith's artistic mastery of the imagination has us right in the center of it all.

Love and light be with you on all your together endeavors.

[Sheila Johnson]

This is a lovely story that we read to our 6.5 year old. Don’t let some of the fancy words throw you off...our son absolutely loved it and at the back of the book is a legend of the “big” words and we had just as much fun going through that as we did reading/listening to the Tale of Umit and Timurhan. I love that the first page places the reader/audience in Turkey and sets the stage for the type of character Tim is. This story has a wonderful life lesson about trust, tolerance and collaboration (among other words).