World Turtle Day: 11 children’s books to learn more about turtles

World Turtle Day 2019: The purpose of this day is to bring attention to and increase knowledge of tortoises and turtles. Here are some books you can read with your children to make them aware.

4 min readMay 23, 2019 04:50 PM IST First published on: May 23, 2019 at 04:48 PM IST

Introduce children to these books. (Image by Rajan Sharma)

Sea turtles have roamed the Earth for over 200 million years. On World Turtle Day, look up these fiction and non-fiction books to read with your kids.

I’ll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara (Age: 4+)

In this lyrical tale, filled with onomatopoeia that makes for an enjoyable read aloud, a baby turtle follows the moonlight and plows across the sand to find the sea and its mother. The illustrations by Lee Edward Fodi follow the turtle as it hatches from the egg and tastes the salty sea air, with the refrain “I’m coming Mama, I’ll see you soon, I know just how, I’ll follow the moon…”

On Kiki’s Reef by Carol L Malnor (Age: 5+)

This story is about the circle of life as a baby sea turtle moves from the beach to float in the ocean as a gentle giant, finding a home among coral reef, but ultimately finds herself journeying back to the sand.

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Emma’s Turtle by Eve Bunting (Age: 4+)

Emma’s turtle, inspired by the stories she reads out to him, leaves his pen in the backyard and decides to see the world. To the tiny creature, a tree stump looks like an elephant’s leg. He’s soon lost, but Emma is around to rescue him, so he can dream about his next escape.

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies (Age: 4+)

For 30 years, a mysterious loggerhead turtle has swum thousands of miles for food. Till one day, she lands on a beach to lay her eggs. The book contains information about the endangered creature’s nesting, food, etc.

Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre (Age: 5+)

This takes a look at the dangers faced by sea turtles and how we can help with conservation, right from protecting the unhatched eggs to when they’re swimming in the sea. The book includes information on sea turtle conservation efforts and different species.

The Green Sea Turtle by Isabel Muller (Age: 4+)

Follow the Green Sea Turtle’s amazing journey as it hatches on the sand, with the sound of the waves, and the creatures and plants it encounters in its lifetime.

National Geographic Kids Mission: Sea Turtle Rescue by Karen Romano Young (Age: 10+)

This is an informative book for older kids who want to learn more about turtles, with photographs of turtles in their natural habit and conservation efforts, along with hands-on activities.

Turtles and Tortoises: Level 2 (National Geographic Readers) by Laura Marsh (Age: 5+)

An informative book for your little explorer, filled with great photographs, to get your kids interested in reading and wildlife conservation.

The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus (Age: 4+)

If your child loves dinosaurs, he or she is sure to fall in love with the amazing turtles too. Read about prehistoric turtles and the dangers they faces, which is similar to the threat they face today, told from the perspective of a baby sea turtle who grows into a majestic creature.

Baby Honu’s Incredible Journey by Tammy Yee (Age: 2+)

Deep in the Pacific ocean, a baby sea turtle faces dangers and learns to survive them in this adventurous tale.

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson (Age: 5+)

Written by activist Philippe Cousteau and author Deborah Hopkinson, this book is about the difference young people can bring about in this world. Follow Viv, who brings the community together to save sea turtles of the South Carolina coast.