The Book of Turtles

A BOOK ABOUT TURTLES

Welcome to the STEMHAX Book Spotlight. Today we are exploring The Book of Turtles written by Sy Montgomery and illustrated by Matt Patterson. This book would be an excellent addition to any childhood classroom or homeschool library. The colorful pictures would start some chatter among students, as many children would have some prior knowledge about turtles.

Kids enjoy reading the same book over and over again, so having a physical copy on hand is a great idea. The Book of Turtles is rich in scientific and age appropriate science terms, and includes a glossary in the back of the book.

This version can be purchased on Amazon or at your favorite book retailer. It would make a nice addition to any library.

Overview

The Book of Turtles has brilliantly illustrated pages featuring several turtle species living within their habitats that will grab your attention. The book also includes a beautiful diagram of a turtle and its anatomy. This book is a thought-provoking read aloud as the ending sentences of some of the pages allow for an interactive discussion while reading the book. One example is “…the shell invented the turtle.”

Children will explore many aspects of turtles including many different species. Among the topics are extreme turtles, celebrity turtles, largest and smallest species, and how we can help, too.

The Book of Turtles – Teaser

This video shares how Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson came together to create The Book of Turtles which was selected as one of the Sibert Medal Committee Honor Books for 2024.

Exploring The Book of Turtles with Young Learners

First, start with a book cover inspection. Show children the cover of the book, and ask, “what do you think this book is about?” Follow this with some open-ended questions to get their minds warmed up.

What do you think about when you hear the word turtle?
What are some words that describe a turtle?
How do you feel about turtles?
What are some things you know about turtles?
How do turtles move?
How are turtles different from people?

After reading the book for the first time, ask more open-ended or fact checking questions. Remember there are no wrong answers. Some questions might include:

Why did the author name the book The Book of Turtles?
Where are some places turtles live?
What feature makes a turtle a turtle?
Why is the shell so important to the turtle?
How long do turtles live?
What was your favorite turtle topic in the book? Why?
Do all turtles look the same? Why?
How can you help turtles?

Vocabulary

carapace – The hard topside of a turtle.
plastron – The bottom side of a turtle’s shell.
brackish- Where the river and the sea meet; slightly salty water.
terrapin – The different kinds of turtles that live in brackish waters.
tortoise – A turtle that lives on the land.

Bite Sized Activities for At Home Learners

Extend the Lesson

The following videos are a great way to extend the lesson. Here are some hands-on activities and other read alouds involving turtles.

For the Love of Turtles – WMUR-TV Story

This story was dubbed “turtle power” in the WMUR-TV YouTube description box. The video from WMUR-TV explores a little more about the author and illustrators work on the turtle project.

Turtle Time! – What Sam Sees – Nat Geo Kids

This video touches on one of the many turtle rescue projects, similarly mentioned in The Book of Turtles. Sometimes turtles get sick or hurt and need some human intervention. Here Sam visits a rescue hospital for sea turtles.

OCEARCH – Turtle Tracking

Add this to any lesson planning and cross-cut science with geography. The OCEARCH project tracks a variety of marine animals, including sea turtles, that can be found on their website: ocearch.org/tracker/. Below is a video that introduces you to their sea turtle mission!

Turtle Splash Countdown at the Pond – Read Aloud

Turtle Splash Countdown at the Pond written by Cathryn Falwell is a early math reader story. Little ones who are learning how to count or subtract will find this book fun. It is an early childhood math book with beautiful illustrations and turtles for young learners.

Hands-On Explorations

Finally, enjoy some hands-on explorations. Here are a few to get you started.

Sea Turtles: The Seven Species – Read Aloud

There are only seven different sea turtle species in the world today. This reader/coloring book is a simplified book for young readers interested in learning more about sea turtles. In The Book of Turtles, Sy Montgomery mentions the baby leatherback sea turtles. This reader can expand a little about the seven sea turtles. Kids can enjoy this video and read along while practicing simple science facts about sea turtles. The video contains sight words and repetitive science words: sea turtle, shell, and carapace.

This sea turtle video was created to use with the Sea Turtles: The Seven Species reader and it can also be used in conjunction with any turtle lesson plan.

Egg Carton Turtle Craft – Teach the Teacher

The following video walks you through how to make a simple egg carton turtle. This low mess craft can be used in an arts and crafts lesson or with any turtle science lesson. Supplies are simple too; felt, pom-poms, googly eyes, paint, scissors, glue and egg carton pieces.

How to Draw a Realistic Sea Turtle

Art Hub for Kids is kid friendly and your students will love this how to draw lesson. You will need to pause the video periodically to allow students catch up. Let them know this ahead of time so there is minimal frustration.

FREE Read Aloud Book Report

Need accountability in a listening or iPad center? Check out this FREE Book Report available in my TPT Store for download.

Sources

These are the sources we pulled our turtle facts from. Click the logos to learn more about the programs!

Thank you!

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The Book of Turtles

A BOOK ABOUT TURTLES