Turtle Spring
PreSchool-Grade 3?A young girl learns much about the natural world through her experiences over the course of an eventful year. When summer brings a baby brother and a turtle, Clee is more eager to welcome the pet than the sibling. A gift from her uncle, it helps her adjust to the idea of the baby and to the job offer that takes her father far from home. As the months pass and summer turns to autumn, Clee enjoys spending time outdoors with the turtle. After she leaves it outside on a cold autumn evening and thinks it is dead, she buries it deep in the family's backyard compost heap and tries to put aside her memories and guilt. Throughout the winter, the child watches the snow pile up outside her home and the baby learns to roll, sit up, and crawl. With the arrival of spring, as Clee plays with her brother in their sandbox, they spy the awakening turtle emerge from his winter nap. Turtle Spring is a lovely introduction to the concept of hibernation and a gentle look at the bonds that grow between siblings. The lyrical text is perfect for reading aloud and abounds with imagery. The illustrations, reminiscent of Jane Dyer's watercolor hues, beautifully reflect the changing seasons. An author's note gives brief information about Clee's turtle (a Red-eared Slider), the process of hibernation, and composting.?Maura Bresnahan, Topsfield Town Library, MACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.