Timely Umit Upturns Tim

“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.