By: Liza Ketchum, Jaqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis RootWho is saving turtles?The waters around Cape Cod used to cool off gradually, signaling to sea turtles that it was time to swim south. But now, due to climate change, the water stays warm too long a
By: Liza Ketchum, Jaqueline Briggs Martin, and Phyllis Root
The waters around Cape Cod used to cool off gradually, signaling to sea turtles that it was time to swim south. But now, due to climate change, the water stays warm too long and cools off too quickly, making the turtles too cold to migrate.
Turtles Heading Home! follows the efforts of conservationists as they rescue the turtles, nurse them back to health, and release them into warmer waters. The operation involves hundreds of people, from the volunteers patrolling beaches, to the veterinarians in the hospital, to the pilots who fly the turtles south. All of them share the goal of helping save the Kemps ridley sea turtlethe most endangered sea turtle in the world.
If you like this book, youll enjoy these:
Earth Hour
Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
Night Owl Night
[TABS]
Download the CoverDownload the Activity Kit
Liza Ketchum, author
Liza Ketchum is the author of seventeen books for young people, including The Life Fantastic and The Last Garden. Her books have appeared on the ALAs Best Book lists and the New York Public Librarys “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing”. She and her husband divide their time between Vermont and Massachusetts.
Read more about Liza.
Jacqueline Briggs Martin, author
Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of over twenty picture books for children, including award-winners Snowflake Bentley, a Caldecott medal winner, and Creekfinding: A True Story, recipient of the Green Earth Award for Environmental Writing for Children and a Riverby Award. Jacqueline lives in Iowa with her husband.
Read more about Jacqueline.
Phyllis Root, author
Phyllis Root is the author of fifty books for children, including Big Belching Bog; Plant a Pocket of Prairie; One North Star; Big Momma Makes the World, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner; and The Lost Forest, a National Outdoor Book Award winner. Phyllis resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Read more about Phyllis.
Kirkus Reviews
A step-by-step account of concerted efforts being made to rescue the hundreds of rare sea turtles washed ashore around Cape Cod every winter.
Successfully reviving plate-size Kemps ridley sea turtles that have been stunned by unseasonably chill waters turns out to be a fussy, complicated process. The authors explain things in careful detail as they give readers a chance to meet many of the workers who search beaches, carefully transport stranded turtles to a wildlife rehabilitation lab for treatment, and then return the survivors to the shore. How rare is the Kemps ridley? Astonishingly, until recently there was but one nesting site in the world, and in 1985, less than 250 females laid eggs there. Thanks to efforts like the one documented here, that population has been steadily growing since then. The authors also include information on the animals life cycle; after finishing this workand poring over the many bright color photosconcerned young eco-activists will come away agreeing with the wildlife biologist who dubs these turtles charismatic. Those eager to help will appreciate the backmatter, which offers guidance on combating climate change and helping sea turtles.
An inspiring success story for animal-rescue advocates.
Children’s Literature
Although natural predators threaten the survival of the Kemps ridley turtles, they also face another threat when it is time to make their journey to the south for warmer waters. With the approach of winter, some of these sea turtles become stranded in Cape Cod Bay, and they are unable to make it to Mexico. The authors describe the plight and rescue of the ridley turtles. Readers will learn how different people contribute to the conservation of this endangered species. Every layout features magnificent, color photographs (with captions). One of the photos provides insight into how the turtles become stuck in the bay. The snapshots include people helping to save the Kemps ridley turtles. Dr. Tuxbury examines the turtles; pilot Andrews loads boxes of turtles for their flight to warmer waters, and numerous volunteers assist at different stages of the rescue. The authors acknowledge the many people who provided information on the Kemps ridley turtles and the rescue. Children with an interest in animals and conservation will want to read this book. Teachers will probably find this title to be a wonderful addition for a study unit on reptiles or conservation. Readers wishing to learn more will need to seek additional resources independently.
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-586-4
Ages: 69
Page count: 48
91/2 x 91/2
Publication date: July 15, 2025
[/TABS]
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.