Come Out of Your Shell

“Caldecott Honoree McLimans gives this retelling of a Huron creation myth a contemporary look with the use of crisp, Native American-style motifs in bold primary colors …” (PW) For ages 4-8.

“A rhythmic, rhyming countdown book descends from ten to one as various other creatures startle or lure each turtle into the water … The author/illustrator also provides brief information about each of the creatures and instructions for making leaf prints, one of the techniques used in creating the artwork.” (CCBC) For ages 3-6.

“A rhyming and repetitive text with an easy f low conveys equal parts entertainment and information. Oversized pages with boldly-outlined illustrations add drama to the ancient creature’s [a primeval sea turtle] story.” (CCBC) For ages 3-8.

“An engaging, informative picture book chronicles a sea turtle’s first twenty years of life, underscoring some of the threats to this endangered creature, as well as some of the ways people help protect it. April Pulley Sayre’s finely paced narrative, full of both quiet moments and drama, is perfect for reading aloud.” (CCBC) For ages 4-9.

“Stewart’s message highlights the existence of a wide range of species and their ecosystems from bog turtles to desert tortoises to leatherback sea turtles … Maps, ‘Do’s & Don’ts,’ and website resources are helpful additions to this environmental awareness classroom resource.” (SLJ) For ages 6-9.

“From the moment Turtle first sticks his head out of his shell in the morning, he must respond both to his own needs and to other animals in his environment. Florian takes full advantage of all the drama pageturning provides as he depicts with skillful simplicity a typical day in a turtle’s life.” (CCBC) For ages 18m-3.

“Endpapers the color of a July sun invite readers to a dynamically presented year-round exploration of wild and domestic creatures. Seventeen poems and accompanying watercolor and line drawings bring the year to life in a new way. The poetic images characterizing the creatures by sound, rhythm, and season show Singer’s stunning mastery of words.” (CCBC) For ages 7-12, poetry.

“Forty-one short, unrhymed poems create a continuous narrative describing a day in the marsh. ‘Black snake/slides up/stealing/ the sitting rock’s/sun.’ Delicate black pencil drawings extend each poem visually and evoke realistic aspects of nature. Distinctive page layouts provide contrast and variety to a collection for individual sampling or reading aloud.” (CCBC) For ages 5-14, poetry.

“Resplendent full-color gouache paintings provide a turtle’s-eye view of a typical day at the edge of Long Pond. A passing chipmunk, a gentle rain and a feeding raccoon contribute to the subtle drama of life in the natural world.” (CCBC) For ages 3-5.

“When a painted turtle first hatches from its egg, it’s only the size of a quarter. Rick Chrustowski describes how the hatchling hides from danger at the water’s edge, feeding on beetle larva, minnows, tadpoles, and water bugs. In winter, she burrows in the mud and rests in a state similar to hibernation. … Illustrations that capture the beauty of the painted turtles and their watery habitat accompany the straightforward description of their habits and life cycle.” (CCBC) For ages 5-9.

“Facts about and descriptions of several turtle species are presented, from the proper terms for their ‘shells,’ to diet, size, hibernation, and egg clutching and hatching. Illustrations are clearly identified, as the text outlines the factors involved in turtles’ longevity as individuals and as a taxonomic order, in a vocabulary and style accessible to newly independent readers.” (CCBC) For ages 6-9, informational picture book.

“Max and his mother are volunteer members of a group that patrols the beaches in fall and winter, attempting to rescue Kemp’s ridley turtles, who enjoy the warm bays and lush food supply of Cape [Cod] in summer but become incapacitated and die after cold weather arrives. This photo-documentary account of the endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle successfully alternates its focus from the turtle discovered by Max to the status of the species …” (CCBC) For ages 7-11.

“… Yertle the Turtle, king of a ‘nice little pond’, gets ambitious: ‘I’m Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me! / For I am the ruler of all that I see!’ He commands an ever larger turtle-stacked throne so he can see more and more. At the very bottom, ‘a plain little turtle called Mack’ complains of pain and hunger, saying ‘I know up on top you are seeing great sights, / But down at the bottom we, too, should have rights.’ It seems only fitting that Mack’s burp brings Yertle tumbling down into the mud, so that ‘all the turtles are free / As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.'” (BL) For ages 4-8.

“[Clee’s pet] turtle, which spent early autumn sunning in the sandbox, begins burrowing under leaves for warmth. Clee’s mother advises her to bring the turtle in at night, but Clee does not, and on a cold November day she finds the turtle in the compost pile, ‘stone still, stone cold.’ Heartbroken, she buries the turtle deep within the compost heap. But there is a happy surprise in store for Clee in this tender story that also depicts the funny, warm and subtly changing relationship between Clee and her baby brother …” (CCBC) For ages 4-8.