The Green Sea Turtle

The story of one sea turtle’s life, beginning with her emergence from an egg in the sand of Raine Island, off the coast of Australia, unfolds in spare drawings integrated with torn- paper compositions. In quiet prose, German author-illustrator Müller describes the sea turtle’s undersea wanderings; other creatures that the sea turtle encounters, such as the dugong and porcupinefish; and her eventual return to the beach to lay her own eggs: “Then she returns to the sea, leaving the eggs to the warmth of the sun and the protection of the sand. In about six weeks, the baby turtles will hatch.” Several pages of extensive endnotes about the seven varieties of sea turtles round out this simple, compelling portrait of an endangered species. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)