One Tiny Turtle

Title: One Tiny Turtle
Author: Nicola Davies
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2001 by Nicola Davies
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Non-fiction

Summary:
Out in the middle of the ocean is a tangle of seaweed and driftwood. This is where the baby loggerhead sea turtles live. They have shells as soft as old leather and feed on tiny shrimp and crabs. The turtle takes quick breaths above the water because it is a retile and cannot breathe under water like a fish can. After several years the turtle will appear closer to land with her shell as tough as armor and she comes to eat crabs. She spends most of her time looking for food. In the summer she finds clams and shrimp, while in the winter she eats among corals. The Loggerhead travels thousands of miles but is rarely seen in the ocean. In the summer, she will appear on the shore that she was born to lay her own eggs. She will wait until night so that she doesn’t overheat during the day. She finds a place high on the shore where the sea won’t reach. She digs a steep and deep hole and lays her eggs. Then she covers them with sand to hide them from predators. A mother will sometimes make as many as ten nests in a single season. Before the summer is over the baby turtles climb out of their shells and push their way out of the sand. They have to be quick to get to the sea because predators are waiting for an easy meal. Only one turtle makes it to the sea. She swims away and will someday return to the beach where she was born.

Recommendations:
I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in animals, especially sea turtles. It’s very informative and has very cute pictures. It doesn’t sugarcoat it and tells it like it is, that some of the babies die, but it doesn’t dwell on the fact either.

Potential Problems:
It could make some children sad because of all the baby turtles that die. But I think that the children will more likely focus on the turtle that survived.

My Reaction:
I liked this book, the illustrations were really cute and helped with the story. I’ve always loved sea turtles and this was a nice, cute book to help me learn a little bit more.