A TURTLE IN THE HOUSE

Combining the single focus of May's Box Turtle Lives in Armor and the generalized introduction of Bronson's Turtles. Navarra begins with Lisa and Jackie finding ten eggs and watching them hatch, then turning to Father for explanations beyond their elementary observations. They determine the species by careful comparison to drawings; Mr. Komoda's explicit illustrations would nevertheless benefit from coloration. Father traces the turtle's evolutionary development with the expertise of a herpetologist; the kids also consult the local library, and the combined sources provide data on vertebrates, cold-bloodedness, shell construction, even vitamin minimums. A gimmick story, but an informative one.