OCEAN COMMOTION

Mason follows a loggerhead turtle, hatched in Florida, as she explores the oceans and, after many years, returns to her birthplace to mate and lay her eggs. Vibrantly colored illustrations in blues, aquamarine, pinks and browns emphasize the vastness of the hatchling’s environment and the variety of ocean life she encounters. With swirls and skewed perspectives, the illustrations immerse the reader in the marine environment. Words from the appended glossary are bolded in the text. Mason has made use of recent research in presenting her story, but has, perhaps, oversimplified it with her personified example, who exults in reaching the water or escaping from sharks, hopes predator fish won’t see her and promises herself never to be trapped by hooks or nets. A better introduction for young readers or listeners is Nicola Davies’s One Tiny Turtle (2001). (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)