The Adventures of 

Terry the Turtle and 

Gracie the Wonder Dog

Grades 3 – 6

FEMA 531 / August 2005
Produced by agreement with:

Washington Military Department

Emergency Management Division

Lori Dent-Cleveland, 

Author

Lenore Doyle, 

Publication Design

Lori Heckman, 

Illustrator

George Crawford, 

Earthquake Program Manager

Barbara Everette Thurman, 

Public Education Coordinator

Original Copyright 2001
The Adventures of 

Terry the Turtle and 

Gracie the 

Wonder Dog



The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Not so far off in the town of Shakeyville 

lived Gracie the Wonder Dog and her brother George. 

Shakeyville was a very quiet town, nestled near 

beautiful mountains.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Shakeyville had a mayor named Terry the Turtle 

who was very concerned that all of the citizens 

of Shakeyville be earthquake ready. You see, 

Shakeyville was in earthquake 

country and everyone knew it 

was just a matter of time until 

an earthquake would shake 

their little town.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie and George had a wonderful friend named 

Abbey who was their next door neighbor. Nala lived 

across the street from Abbey. The four of them made 

up the Shakeyville Seismic Patrol.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie the Wonder Dog, George, Abbey, and Nala 

cared very deeply about what happened to the people 

in Shakeyville. They volunteered at the Shakeyville

Elementary School to inform and teach the 

students about earthquake 

preparedness.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie knows how 

important it is to be 

prepared for an earthquake 

because she knows that most 

of the United States is 

earthquake country. 

Gracie and the Seismic Patrol also 

helped other people in the 

community.

They accompanied Mayor Terry 

the Turtle to the Shakeyville 

Community Center, the hospital, 

and other places where people 

gathered to teach them about 

earthquake preparedness.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

One cold, crisp day, Gracie and the Seismic Patrol 

went to the Shakeyville Elementary School. “Good 

morning everyone!” Gracie said with excitement in 

her voice. “We are here today to teach you all how to 

be safe when we have an earthquake in Shakeyville.” 

Gracie told the 

students not to 

be scared of an 

earthquake, but to 

replace fear with 

preparedness.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie explained that there is a lot they could 

do to make their classroom safe. 

Abbey asked the students to turn their desks away 

from the windows. Nala talked about tying and 

bolting things down, like computers, TVs, and heavy 

objects that could fall and injure them.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie asked Mrs. Hillary to remove all the big boxes 

that were up on the file cabinets so they wouldn’t fall 

down on the students. Mrs. Hillary began making 

changes to the classroom right away. All the students 

helped, except Wellington. He just sat 

in the chair and watched.


The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

The boys and girls in Mrs. Hillary’s class paid very 

close attention to the Seismic Patrol. After they had 

made their classroom safe, Gracie told them to listen 

very carefully because she was going to tell 

them the most important thing of all.
1

The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

“‘Drop, Cover, and Hold’

are the key words

in earthquake preparedness,” Gracie said. 

“If the earth starts to shake while

you are in your classroom, 

Drop, Cover, and Hold 

under your desk or table.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie continued, 

“Students, watch as Nala teaches you how to 

“Drop, Cover, and Hold.” 

Nala calmly and quietly listened for Gracie to start 

the earthquake drill by saying,

“Earthquake! Drop, Cover, and Hold!”

As soon as Nala heard the words, she calmly and 

quietly got under the desk, covered her head, and held 

on to the leg of the desk so the desk wouldn’t move 

away from her.
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie then announced that the drill was over and 

Nala got up, checked herself for injuries, 

and then checked the student next to her. 

Gracie asked the students if they would like to 

practice the earthquake drill and 

“Drop, Cover, and Hold.”

They were excited to practice, because now they 

knew they would be safe when the ground started 

shaking. Gracie especially liked the way Scooter was 

tucked nice and tight under his desk.
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

His name was Wellington. Gracie went back to his 

desk and asked, “Wellington, why didn’t you practice 

the earthquake drill?” Wellington quickly answered, 

“We’re never going to have an earthquake. This 

preparedness stuff is for the birds!”

Suddenly, Gracie 

discovered a little boy in 

the back who didn’t want 

to practice. 
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie went over to stand by Wellington and said, 

“Wellington, I hope you never experience an 

earthquake, because you are not prepared. Abbey, 

Nala and I are very sorry you didn’t practice with 

the other students.” Gracie returned to the front of 

the room and continued teaching the students about 

earthquakes and other natural hazards 

found in the United States.
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

After Gracie finished 

teaching about earthquake 

preparedness, George 

explained the importance 

of having a disaster kit. 

George began describing 

what needs to be in a 

disaster kit. “Make sure 

you have enough food and 

water to last at least three 

days,” he said. “If you can’t get home, the school will 

take good care of you, but you will need to have food 

and water close by.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

As George talked to the students about all of the 

things they should have in their disaster preparedness 

kit, he opened his kit and held up each item for the 

kids to see. “You should have food,” he said, “the 

kind that doesn’t go bad, such as beef jerky, granola 

bars, candy bars, and cans of soup or tuna.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

George held up his water jug and a little bowl to hold 

water. He had big plastic trash bags, a flashlight with 

extra batteries, and tucked neatly in his bag was a 

battery-powered radio so he could hear news reports. 

George also had a whistle that he could blow for help 

if help was needed, and first aid supplies. 

“Wow!” the kids yelled. “George, you have 

everything! We’re going to make our kits look just 

like yours.” Well, they all agreed except, yep, you’re 

right, Wellington.
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Ellie, one of Mrs. Hillary’s students, asked, 

“What if I’m outside and the earth starts to shake?” 

Nala thanked Ellie for asking an important 

question. Nala replied, “Remember 

kids, if you’re outside, stay away 

from buildings, trees and power 

lines, and don’t forget to Drop, 

Cover, and Hold. If you’re in 

a car with your parents or 

a friend, pull over and stay 

in the car until the shaking 

stops.” 

Gracie concluded the lesson with the students. As 

she was leaving the classroom, Gracie exclaimed, 

“Remember, if the ground starts to shake, 

Drop, Cover, and Hold.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Two months later, on a crisp winter afternoon the 

earth started to shake. Gracie and her team were in 

their underground doghouse just waking up from a 

nap. “What’s happening?” George asked curiously. 

Gracie hopped up off the ground and yelled, 

“Earthquake!” She called out, 

“Drop, Cover, and Hold!” 
2

The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

It wasn’t a moment 

later when her phone 

started to bark. Gracie 

anxiously picked up 

the phone and Mayor 

Terry the Turtle was 

on the line. 

“Gracie, we need your help!” exclaimed Mayor Terry. 

“We’ve just experienced an earthquake in 

Shakeyville. We need you and the Seismic Patrol to 

go over to the Shakeyville Elementary School and 

check on the students. Please make sure they 

are okay and no one has been hurt.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Gracie and her 

team didn’t 

hesitate. They 

put on their 

safety suits and flew 

over to the school. Looking 

down from the sky they could see the 

damage that was caused by the earthquake. They were 

hoping that the students at Shakeyville Elementary 

had followed proper earthquake procedures when the 

ground started shaking. 

“There’s the school!” Nala yelled. 

“Yep, I see it!” replied Abbey. 

“From the sky, the school looks to be in pretty good 

condition,” said George. 
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Once Gracie and the Seismic Patrol were in the 

school, they began inspecting the building 

room by room.

“Nala and Abbey, you take the rooms on that side of 

the hallway,” Gracie ordered. “George and I will take 

the rooms on this side!”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

As Gracie and George went through the building, 

they could tell the students of Shakeyville Elementary 

School were well prepared. Students had dropped 

under their desks for protection, covered their heads, 

and held on to the legs of their desks. They also had 

prepared their own disaster kits. Gracie and George 

were especially interested to see Mrs. Hillary’s class.
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Mrs. Hillary greeted Gracie and George. “Oh Gracie 

and George, we’re so glad you’re here! Wellington 

has a bump on his forehead from a book that fell off 

the bookshelf. He wasn’t paying attention to you 

when you were here and now I’m afraid he’s hurt. He 

never brought a disaster kit to school, so he doesn’t 

have any food or water either.

Can you help him!”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

“Certainly, we can help him!” Gracie said. Gracie 

sat down on the floor by Wellington, opened up the 

Disaster Kit she carried on her back and took out a 

bandage and gently placed it on Wellington’s head. 

“Now, that should feel better,” Gracie commented 

while patting his head. “Oh Wellington, 

 you should have listened.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Wellington was very sorry. In a somber voice he 

started to apologize. “Gracie,” he said, “I’m sorry 

I didn’t listen the first time. I’m sorry that I said 

those things to you when you were here teaching 

us how to be safe if an earthquake happens. I wish 

I had listened. Boy, I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll be 

earthquake safe the next time the ground shakes!” 

“And that could be soon!” said Gracie. 

“Earthquakes are often followed by other 

earthquakes called aftershocks.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Just then, Nala and Abbey walked in Mrs. Hillary’s 

door. “All the students at Shakeyville Elementary 

School are just fine!” Abbey exclaimed.

Gracie and the Seismic Patrol started to walk out the 

door when Mrs. Hillary’s class yelled, “Thank you, 

Gracie! Thank you, George! Thank you, Nala! 

Thank you, Abbey!”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Even Wellington now was a believer in earthquake 

preparedness. He couldn’t wait to start 

building his earthquake kit.

As the Seismic Patrol flew up into the sky, the 

students in Mrs. Hillary’s class continued to 

wave and cheer!
3

The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

Smiling from ear to ear, the Seismic Patrol flew 

back home to the underground doghouse 

to take a much-needed nap.

“Earthquake preparedness really works,” said Abbey.

“You bet it does!” said George. “Let’s head home to 

get something to eat? I’m really hungry.”
The Adventures of Terry the Turtle and Gracie the Wonder Dog

While the Seismic Patrol was sleeping, Gracie’s 

phone started to bark.

Gracie raised one eyebrow and grinned. 

“Well team, looks like the Mayor needs our help 

again. Let’s get going....”

Notice to Parents and Teachers:

This booklet is not meant to be an exhaustive 

guide to earthquake education and safety, 

but is a useful tool for teaching children about 

risks from earthquakes. It can also serve to begin 

a discussion of earthquake safety, and safety 

from all types of natural and manmade 

hazards. For guidance on helping children 

deal with the confusion and fears that can 

arise during and after a disaster, refer to the FEMA/

American Red Cross brochure Helping Children 

Cope with Disaster, FEMA 478, which is available 

in both English and Spanish. You can order a 

copy of FEMA 478 from the FEMA Distribution 

Facility at 1-800-480-2520. You can also download FEMA 478 in PDF 

form from the FEMA website at http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/

prepare_guides_links.shtm. For hazard information developed 

specifically for children and families, please visit the websites listed 

below, or call your state or local emergency management office.

FEMA for Kids – http://www.fema.gov/kids/

FEMA U.S. Fire Administration for Kids – 

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/flash.shtm

FirstGov for Kids – http://www.kids.gov/k_safety.htm

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program for Kids –

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids/

Safe Kids Worldwide – http://www.safekids.org/

CodeRedRover.org – http://www.coderedrover.org/

Home Safety Council – 

http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/index.aspx