Why Tortoise Stopped Gossiping by Stephen Alumenda

Why Tortoise Stopped Gossiping is book number 21 in the Sparrow Readers series, written by S. Alumenda and published by East African Educational Publishers (EAEP). The story centres on Tortoise, who often gossips — spreading rumours, talking behind others’ backs, or stirring up trouble with words. Eventually Tortoise’s gossiping leads to consequences: relationships suffer, trust is broken, or others are hurt. Realising the harm of gossip, Tortoise must change behaviour and learn the values of truth, respect, kindness, and the importance of thinking before speaking. It’s written simply, with familiar settings and characters, and is aimed at primary school readers building reading fluency and moral awareness.