Breaking out of the shell Little Turtle instinctively followed the lights in the sky; they would lead him to his wet world in the ocean.  The only problem, the lights were cars, houses, and outdoor lamp posts, but how was this newly hatched sea turtle to know.  He couldn’t find his home. 

Every once in a while a children’s book really catches my attention on multiple levels. Susan Ring’s Where Should Turtle Be? qualifies because it’s charming, because of the catchy repetitive rhyme and because of the introduction to turtles.  Little Turtle is a sea turtle on the wrong road to finding his home.   Each potential home just doesn’t work for his body – he’s adapted for a different habitat. 

He encounters a helpful bear who suggests Little Turtle might be a box turtle:

“You wouldn’t have to swim,
You could feast on fruit,
You could crawl around the forest
And sleep a lot to boot.”

“Turtle tried it for a while,
But he couldn’t stick to it.
He was not a box turtle,
And he just couldn’t do it.”

When he meets the bear we also see a box turtle and children can compare Little Turtle to the box turtle. The differences are obvious.  The rhyme repeats throughout the story, “He was not a box turtle, And he just couldn’t do it,” as does a second rhyme, “No thank you,” said the turtle, “it’s just not me. I really don’t think that’s what I’m supposed to be.” And so he walked on.

Young readers enjoy predictive rhymes that allow them to complete the story and this encourages them to remember the different types of turtles.  As Little Turtle moves through the story trying to find the home that fits his body, he considers recommendations from a frog, a beetle, and a crab.  Children compare Little Turtle to a painted turtle and a diamondback terrapin. Finally and quite accidentally he finds a place ideally suited to his flippers.

There are many discussion topics in this beautiful picturebook.  Illustrator Laurie Allen Klein, (If a Dolphin Were a Fish) provided excellent detail in her depictions of each turtle and each habitat.  Young readers might actually find themselves empathizing with Little Turtle as he attempts to pull himself out of the gobs of muck he was stuck in while contemplating being a diamondback terrapin.  She makes it easy for making comparisons of not only the turtles but also contrasting differences in their homes and how their specific bodies are adapted for their ideal habitats.

The rhyme encourages reading and the repetition invites participation.  Little Turtle is adorable and smart teachers (and parents) will want to have a sea turtle puppet for children to hold during the reading.  The happy conclusion will make readers smile.

In Class or While Teaching
This Sylvan Dell Publishing book, in my mind, qualifies as a candidate for numerous teaching awards – not only for science but for language.  All Sylvan Dell books conclude with activities. For Creative Minds is an educational section for use in the classroom. It’s designed for photocopying from the book or downloading copies from their website. Turtle activities include fun facts, adaptations and matching the turtle to its habitat. Where Should Turtle Be makes it easy to recognize the different adaptations and how they best suit the various habitats. While learning about the adaptations vocabulary enhances the educational experience.  “Sea turtles have flippers to help them swim in the oceans.  Turtles that live in water and on land often have webbed feet for the water and claws to help them crawl on the land.”  These statements certainly encourage a return to the story for confirmation. Their website also offers more teaching activities, quizzes, related websites and alignments to standards (state and national). Related websites link to general turtle information, turtle conservation, and turtle-specific sites (for each of the four turtles described in this whimsical story). Regarding accuracy, the author thanks those who know about turtles for their assistance and for verifying the accuracy of the information in this charming and well done book. The lessons and content are perfect for the needs of first and second grades.

Two red eared sliders, in a very large tank, greeted and entertained frequent visitors at the Children’s Museum I managed until last year. They were fascinated by the turtles and some would watch the turtles for an hour.  There’s something about turtles that appeals to four and five year olds (and many adults).  Four and five year olds will love Little Turtle’s personality and inquiring mind that helps him recognize what does and does not work for him.  They will giggle with his accidental success and I’m sorry, but they will probably want a re-read.  I highly recommend Where Should Turtle Be? for classroom and home. Everyone involved with creating this book helped create a delightful book.

~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
I thank Sylvan Dell Publishing for the allowing me the opportunity to provide an honest review of Where Should Turtle Be. This book was perfect! The website for this is www.sylvandellpublishing.com/Where.php

Recommended: Yes