“Deep in the dunes of a long-ago shore, / the leathery shell of a turtle egg tore. / Out popped a flipper. Then two. Then four. / They scrabbled and scooped, and scrabbled some more.” The little hatchling, a primeval sea turtle called an archelon, soon scuttles from the beach to the water of its ocean home. Evading underwater predators, the archelon grows to its adult weight of two tons, and eventually returns to the beach where she was born to lay her own eggs. The archelon is extinct, but its characteristics are still evident, as “shells of all fashions continue to girdle / the middle of many a tortoise and turtle.” A rhyming and repetitive text with an easy flow conveys equal parts entertainment and information. Oversize pages with boldly outlined illustrations add drama to the ancient creature’s story. (Ages 3–8)

Sploosh! Fizz! Swish! The prehistoric ocean is a dangerous place for a baby sea turtle. But after she emerges from her egg, the treacherous waters are her goal. Swimming through the swirling waves and dodging larger sea creatures, she finds a resting place deep below. There she waits, until she grows into the majestic sea turtle that returns to the sand to lay her eggs and begin the cycle again.

This journey of a small creature in the oceanic world of the dinosaurs is a perfect mix of scientific integrity and dramatic storytelling.