PPBF – The Book of Turtles

I love books written by the author of today’s Perfect Picture Book, and I wear a small gold sea turtle around my neck. So when I discovered today’s Perfect Picture Book, I couldn’t resist sharing it with you.

Title: The Book of Turtles

Written By: Sy Montgomery

Illustrated By: Matt Patterson

Publisher/Date: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers/2023

Suitable for Ages: 4-8 and older

Themes/Topics: non-fiction, turtles, shells, nature

Opening:

Sometime around 240 million years ago – about the time of the first dinosaurs, and 9 million years before the first crocodile – the shell invented the turtle.

Brief Synopsis:

An exploration of turtles.

Links to Resources:

• Discover how you can help turtles and find other resources in the back matter;
• Check out this classroom kit;
• Try some of these turtle crafts for kids.

Why I Like this Book:

Any child who isn’t a turtle lover before reading The Book of Turtles surely will be one afterwards. Why? Montgomery has filled The Book of Turtles with kid-friendly facts, and Patterson’s lifelike illustrations are so engaging. They feature so many different types of turtles and provide such fascinating insights. Readers learn all about the turtle’s shell and why it’s so important. We learn what makes them unique from other reptiles and about the various types of turtles in the world.

From the fastest to the flattest, the most colorful to the stinkiest, surely there’s a turtle to appeal to everyone. And what talents they have, from climbing, to hunting in packs, to breathing through their bottoms while hibernating, to talking, and more.

But, readers learn, turtles are disappearing from our world, with 61 percent of turtle species “dangerously declining” or already extinct. Thankfully, Montgomery and Patterson don’t leave us feeling hopeless about the situation. Instead, they provide several ways to protect turtles including such simple steps as protecting turtles in your own yard and avoiding plastic, especially single-use plastic bags.

Whether you or your little ones are already turtle lovers or just want to learn more about these fascinating, ancient creatures, I highly recommend reading The Book of Turtles at home or in classrooms.

A Note about Craft:

When I read the first sentence of The Book of Turtles, I stopped and reread it. Surely I had misread it the first time around. But no. I hadn’t. What an attention-grabbing first line! And what a wonderful way to showcase an important fact, that shells protect turtles and are one reason they can live so long.

This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!