Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!

by April Pulley Sayre, Annie Patterson (Illustrator)

Overview

A fascinating look at the dangers sea turtles face and the role that humans have in helping with wildlife and ocean conservation. In this re-illustrated edition of the previously published text, author April Pulley Sayre introduces readers to the life of a sea turtle. From the tiny hatchlings being born on the shores of Florida to the turtles making their way through the sea to their journey back to lay eggs of their own years later, the reader sees the dangers that turtles must face and how humans can help. Backmatter includes Information on sea turtle conservation efforts and the seven species of sea turtles. A great introduction to ocean life cycles as well as a perfect resource for building awareness about environmental and nature conservation in and outside of the classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580891493
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2010
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	201,039
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

April Pulley Sayre is the award-winning author of dozens of books, including MEET THE HOWLERS!; TURTLE, TURTLE, WATCH OUT!; and ONE IS A SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB, an ALA Notable Book. She lives in South Bend, Indiana.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 2—Dangers threaten the survival of sea turtles at every stage of their lives. In this newly illustrated version of a 2000 book of the same title, beautiful pictures in watercolor, gouache, and pastels illustrate many of these risky situations, and the narrative describes how people are working to minimize these threats. The title is repeated on many of the double-page descriptions: a new hatchling is attracted to the porch light—"Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! Small hands switch off the light," so that the baby turtle changes direction away from the house and toward the moonlight on the water. Other dangers are natural—the night herons and raccoons alert to the scrambling hatchlings, hungry fish awaiting the tiny babies tumbling in the currents. People's life-saving actions are described or shown, e.g., reaching out of a boat into the water to retrieve a plastic bag that could choke a feeding turtle. The illustrations are soft-toned but dramatically interpret such dangers as the looming cat on the beach, menacing sharks, and confining fishing nets. A two-page description of how people throughout the world are helping the seven endangered species of sea turtles survive and the thumbnail sketches of these species provide background. A good read-aloud or read-along choice for environmental awareness.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

School Library Journal

Considering the dangers a sea turtle faces, its life would be a "short story, or no story at all" without helping hands, according to this compelling narrative. Here that help begins before a little loggerhead even gets off the beach, as a child chases away marauding raccoons, places a wire cage over the buried clutch of turtle eggs, and later turns off a house light to prevent the new hatchling from crawling inland. The hazards don't end there, as the young turtle still faces not only natural predators, but also entangling fish nets and floating plastic bags that look like edible jellyfish. With each danger comes the refrain, "Turtle, Turtle Watch Out!," inviting listeners to take part in the story. Using a palette dominated by deep blues and greens, Christiansen creates spread-filling, dimly lit ocean scenes, viewing the turtle (generally head on) as she plugs along, feeding, growing, narrowly escaping one risk after another, returning at last to the beach where she hatched to lay eggs of her own. Sea turtles are a popular picture book topic, but the emphasis on protective measures and practices gives this an unusual slant. The afterword includes a conservation organization's address and information about how ordinary citizens are helping sea turtles survive. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews