Turtles And Tortoises

Children's Literature - Julia Beiker

What species of animal has been called living fossils? The turtle. Why? They have existed over 200 million years ago and lived among the dinosaurs. They are referred to as living fossils because through studying their ancient fossils and looking at them today, we know they have not changed in appearance. They have shells so strong that a 200-pound person could stand on one and not damage the turtle. Of course, everyone has heard or read the tale Tortoise and the Hare, where the tortoise has a reputation for being extremely slow, but did you know that sea turtles can swim more then twenty miles a day. If a reader wants to learn even more interesting facts, check out the "Animals Animals" series of books and read this one. Renee C. Rebman has researched this reptile and included the most fascinating facts in this book. In the "Did You Know" section—tidbits on the orange section of some pages—she tells how turtles cannot stick out theirs tongues, and even more weird facts. The content page at the front will lead the reader to specific sections that will help if they are writing about turtles or tortoises—this is a great research book. They could find out that turtles or tortoises span the world, except in Antarctica where the extreme cold temperatures will not allow them to survive. Do not forget the back of the book where the "Glossary," "Find Out More," and "Index" sections help to expand the young or old reader's mind.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5 - Each of these smoothly written introductions describes the animal's basic anatomy, major physical and behavioral characteristics, the distinctive features of several different species, habitats, diets, and life cycles. Anteatersand Turtlesalso discuss threats to the animals' survival (habitat destruction, pollution, etc.) and outline efforts to save them. A geographical range map is included in both books. In all three titles, sharp color photographs accompany the text on about every other page. Among the creatures depicted are, respectively, the bumblebee and miner bee; the three types of anteaters; and the Galapagos tortoise and hawksbill turtle. Captions and sidebars offer additional facts. All three titles are clearly written, well organized, and generally compare well with other titles aimed at about the same age level. Beesdoes a good job of covering the basics and has excellent close-ups of the insects; however, it is not as detailed as Martin Schwabacher's Bees(Benchmark, 2002). Anteatersoffers more detailed information on anatomy and characteristics, and it has a more fluid text and better-quality illustrations than Sam Dollar's Anteaters(Raintree, 2001). As there is comparatively little information on tortoises as opposed to turtles, Turtles and Tortoises, with its detailed examination of both reptiles, will help fill a gap.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library

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