Song “La famille Tortue” · the coloring pages on this refrain
The turtles and the unicorn
A turtle in a cap, another with a bow and three baby turtles run as fast as they can, with the unicorn at their side.
- Recommended age
- Ages 4 and up · 20 to 40 minutes
- Themes
- Storybook scenes, Unicorns
A whole family on the run
Dad Turtle, cap on his head and bow tie at his neck, runs laughing, his shell drawn in honeycomb cells. Mum Turtle follows, a polka-dot bow on her head and flowers on her shell. In front of them, three baby turtles run as fast as their little legs will carry them. On the right, the unicorn gallops alongside, its mane full of stars. Speed lines, swirls and a few flowers show that this whole little crowd is racing along.
Never has anyone seen…
“Jamais on n’a vu, jamais on ne verra la famille Tortue courir après les rats” — “no one has ever seen, no one will ever see the Turtle family running after rats”: in the French song, the turtles always go at a walk. On this page, it is the exact opposite, and that is what makes it funny. Four-year-olds know very well how slow turtles are: showing them a whole family running at full speed is a surprise they get right away.
Patterned shells
The shells are the patterned parts: regular honeycomb cells for Dad and the babies, flowers for Mum. They are small, repeated areas, good practice for a four-year-old’s hand learning to fill one cell after another. The bodies, the heads and the unicorn are made of big round shapes, easy to cover.
One family, many shades
Turtles are often colored green: a dark green for the shells, a light green for the bodies, and the family is recognizable at a glance. The cells can alternate two greens. The cap, the bow tie and Mom’s bow are the accessories for a bright color. The unicorn is free.
A word for the grown-up: sing “La famille Tortue” slowly, very slowly, then ask your child what is wrong with the picture. The answer makes them laugh every time: they are running!
Coloring pages that go with this one
More pages from the same theme, age or season — the ones you print right after.
