Today I am sharing a nonfiction picture book that shares the life of a sea turtle. I have always loved these types of books. These books share a story about one animal but also share all sorts of facts and information about the animal within the story. Today's book is The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle by Maddalena Bearzi and illustrated by Alex Boersma. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. I am including a turtle craft roundup to go with the book.
From the Publisher:
Follow the captivating yet perilous life of one sea turtle in this dazzling nonfiction tale by the co-founder of the Ocean Conservation Society, perfect for fans of Jason Chin's ISLAND.On a beach at the Ría Lagartos nature reserve in Mexico, a sea turtle is born.
Newly hatched into a big world, she breaks out of an egg buried in the sand. Now, her journey begins. To reach the ocean she must avoid predatory opossums, crabs, and raccoons -- many of her siblings will not make it. But our sea turtle does, and when she finally dives beneath the blue sea, she’ll travel for thousands of miles on a beautiful and pulse-pounding adventure.
Brilliant, informative, and compelling, The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle is a sweeping nonfiction tale following one turtle’s extraordinary life from hatchling to adulthood, written by sea turtle expert and activist Maddalena Bearzi, and illustrated by rising star Alex Boersma.
From Me:
This book takes us from inside the egg until she is laying her own eggs and beyond. We start with a sea turtle hatching from her egg on a beach with her siblings. The story shares all sorts of interesting facts about the start of a sea turtle's life. For example, the siblings need each other to get out of the nest hole. It is a group effort to climb out. Then there are all the dangers on the beach as well as in the ocean. A very small percentage actually live to see the deep ocean. The story is interesting and shares different facts and stages of life. Turtles change what they eat as they grow older as well as where in the ocean they live. The predators also change.
This book is an interesting one for story time or to use in a unit on sea turtles. It shares scientific facts about a sea turtle. It also is a wonderful book to show the idea of predators and prey. It is a wonderful book for introducing ocean life as well. I can see it used at home for animal lovers as well as a classroom or public story time setting. It is great to read as a story but also great as a reference/research book for younger kids.
Turtle Craft Roundup
To go with this sweet book, I thought turtle crafts would be appropriate. I have done a few turtle craft roundups previously. You can find them here, here, and here. Then in addition to those here are some more fun crafts to check out!
1) Sea Turtle Unit Study from Tina's Dynamic Homeschool+
2) Paper Plate Turtle from Beth Ann Averill
3) 3D Paper Plate Turtle from In the Playroom
4) Build a Turtle Activity from Crafts on Sea
5) Heart Turtle from Beth Ann Averill
6) CD & Buttons Turtle from Fireflies & Mud Pies
7) Paper Turtle Craft from Non-Toy Gifts (Note: This template has a cost)
9) Paper Plate Turtle from Parenting Chaos
10) Sea Turtle Cut & Paste Craft from Parenting Chaos (Note: This template has a cost)
1) Sea Turtle Mosaic Craft from Tina's Dynamic Homeschool+
2) 3D Mandala Turtle Craft from Non-Toy Gifts
3) Rock Turtle
5) Easy Paper Quilling Turtle from Twitchetts
6) Clay Sea Turtle from Buggy and Buddy
