Taking Turns with Turtles: A Rescue Story

Drawing attention to a keystone species, this hopeful, science-led picture book traces the work of human volunteers who look out for “lost” cold-stunned sea turtles. Alternating first-person narration by Becker proceeds step-by-step from the discovery of a turtle beached in winter to its medical care, rehabilitation, and eventual transport back to the wild. At each point, a different person describes their role (“One morning when rivers and lakes shimmer with ice, I welcome the lost turtle into a room full of pools and people”), drawing a connection between the part chelonians play in the larger ecosystem and the efforts of their human protectors (“Turtles have been sustaining the ocean for millions of years. Now it is my turn to sustain the turtles”). Lane’s blurred-edge, digitally finished watercolors luminously fill spreads as they depict the volunteers, portrayed with various skin tones. The effect is a heartening portrait of interspecies care and protection. Back matter includes an author’s note. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)