TAKING TURNS WITH TURTLES

An extensive network of caring, careful volunteers work together to save stranded sea turtles.

“One morning when winter winds blow, and the water runs from cold to colder,” a lost turtle washes up on shore, “hardly moving. Barely breathing.” A family of three are the first to discover the distressed chelonian, covering it with seaweed and blanket while awaiting trained rescuers. “Turtles have been tending the ocean for millions of years,” and now humans must tend the turtles. The turtle is measured and photographed, treated for pneumonia and a cracked shell, and nurtured until it’s “finally healthy and strong.” A pilot flies the recovered creature to warmer waters, where a crowd gathers to cheer its return home. Becker cleverly presents every segment of the turtle’s journey in first person from the perspective of a different rescuer, recognizing the agency of each of the participants. She affectingly matches human actions—caring, protecting, sustaining—with the same ways turtles have contributed to earth-and-sea balance. “It takes a lot of people to save one turtle,” Becker states in her author’s note, applauding the hundreds of volunteers worldwide who, despite differences, can “all agree that they care about sea turtles.” Lane’s soft watercolor spreads shimmer and glow, emitting a communal energy shared by a diverse cast of characters. Extensive backmatter encourages further learning, even involvement.

Both a rewarding animal rescue story and a poignant tale of human collaboration.