Turtles In My Sandbox

December 1, 2006
Gr 1-3-When a diamondback terrapin lays 10 pink eggs in Maggies backyard sandbox, the resourceful girl seeks help from local experts and agrees to become a turtle-sitter. She and her mother wait for the babies to hatch and then care for them until its time to set them free in their ocean habitat. The authors information is correct but her prose is awkward and lacks drama. The illustrations are average in quality and often dont accurately reflect the text. For example, Mama Turtle is described as having sharp black claws, but Schongut depicts them as white in every instance. Also, in a spread in which Curtis describes the differences among the nine hatchlings, the picture portrays them as nearly identical. Back matter includes a craft, but the instructions are poor, and the activity is unlikely to engage kids."Daisy Porter, San Jose Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
When Mama Turtle lays her eggs in Maggie's sandbox, Maggie and her mom devote themselves to caring for the turtles until they are old enough to release. Maggie, the story itself, and the gentle illustrations are largely vehicles for information about the turtles, their habits, and the need to protect diamondback terrapins. The last pages feature turtle facts and crafts.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)