Turtle Pond

April 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Sunny green watercolor scenes and spare poetry observe the daily doings of turtles large and small in their indoor pond home. A child and his family are shown visiting the turtles as the verse muses on their mysterious ways: "Piled high-/one, two, three, four, five!/They climb on each other./Why do they do that?/A stack of turtles at turtle pond." The turtles sleep, eat, swim, chase fish, and cling to the rocks as the seasons pass. The illustrations, done in graphite pencil and watercolor, reveal more and more of the setting as the narrative progresses. As autumn comes and night draws near, readers see the family outside a lighted, domed building facing a city skyline-the pond is located indoors in a public garden. The concluding author's note explains a bit of turtle history and identifies the turtles in this pond as Red-eared Sliders, widely popular as pets. The attractive artwork showing the testudines from a number of arresting angles, and the lyrical observations read aloud well. Children are not offered much fact or explanation but rather a pleasant time in the company of turtles. VERDICT A versatile poetry selection; pleasant for shared reading, early independent reading, and a nice lesson encouraging observation.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
The mysteries of turtles come to life.Descriptive, thought-provoking text and colorful, detailed watercolors combine to show the lives of members of a single species (the red-eared slider) that live inside some public gardens "in hidden corners / and secret hollows / beneath the wet rocks, / way at the bottom of turtle pond." From season to season, a child and an adult man observe from the background as the turtles swim about. The text neatly and naturally notes various behaviors (underwater breathing, eating, interacting with fish, slow exploration, basking in sunlight, stacking themselves into piles, poking their heads in and out of their shells, sleeping on rocks, dwelling near the bottom of the pond) in accessible language and with interesting specifics. The brief descriptions seem likely to lead to more questions than actual answers, presumably so that young scientists may investigate further themselves, making this a good choice to get readers and listeners thinking and observing. Endnotes provide additional information on the particular species, the general status of turtles worldwide, and the author's source of inspiration. The book's focal characters have dark hair and light skin.A poetic yet informative introduction to the lives of turtles that will motivate children to find out more. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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April 15, 2018
Preschool-G Exquisite greens, olive, chartreuse, lime, and soft yellows delineate young turtles swimming, hiding, and chasing one another from top to bottom of the turtle pond. Sharing space with fat goldfish, they hide in secret hollows and under wet rocks, as fascinated and diverse adults and children of all ages observe them. Unanswered questions will inspire future research: How do they breathe underwater? When they open their mouths are they speaking? Can they see and hear us? And why do they climb into a piled-up stack and follow each other in a train? Every double-page spread is illustrated in striking watercolors that depict the lush foliage of the plant life surrounding the pool. The wonder and excitement of seeing turtles as they live through all four seasons emphasizes the curiosity people feel about this ancient species. Back matter explains in a few simple paragraphs the necessity to preserve from extinction the 320 species of turtles alive today.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)