Nicola Davies and Jane Chapman

Davies's (Bat Loves the Night) dramatic rendering of the life cycle of the Loggerhead turtle draws readers into the mysteries of this reclusive deep-sea creature, while Chapman's (The Emperor's Egg) aqua-tinted full-spread illustrations bring the ocean world to life in all its majestic beauty. Loggerhead swims alone in the vastness of the water, munches on crabs, floats over coral reefs and crawls with slow, heavy steps across the beach to lay her eggs. The text addresses readers directly, while seamlessly weaving facts into the story: "For thirty years you might not find her./ Then one summer night she arrives,/ on the beach where she was born." Additional details deliberately placed outside the story in a smaller font and wavy typeset may confuse youngsters at first, but overall, the informative text flows with poetic grace: "Just beneath the surface/ is a tangle of weed and driftwood/ where tiny creatures cling./ This is the nursery of a sea turtle." Aspiring scientists may also wonder how the newborn turtles find their way from the shore to these "nurseries," but the author gives them much to mull over. By the time Loggerhead's hatchlings race for their lives across the beach, under threat of attack, readers will be emotionally invested in their plight--a sure sign of the accomplished storytelling. Ages 5-8.

Submitted by: Debbie Tranter -- dtranter@fuse.net
Hits: 12
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year: 2001

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