Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea [Hardcover]

Sheridan Cain (Author), Norma Burgin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Little Turtle battles to survive the perilous journey from his egg, down the beach, to the sea. He has to overcome many dangers -- the smothering sand, a diving seagull, a fierce crab. Will Little Turtle reach the sea at last?

A lyrical text by Sheridan Cain is perfectly complemented by Norma Burgin's luminescent paintings.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-2-After Little Turtle breaks out of his leathery eggshell, his trek to the sea takes on a mythical tone as the personified Sea, in a repetitive singsong voice, calls and guides the baby reptile to its welcoming waves. On his journey, the little creature faces many dangers from suffocating sand to fierce seagulls to hungry crabs, but his omnipresent protector urges and warns him each step of the way with such mind-numbing verse as, "'Come on, Little Turtle,' sang the Sea. 'A few more steps, and safe you'll be.'" And if this weren't corny enough, when he reaches his goal, he, too, feels the need to sing, "At last-at last I'm free," mistakenly implying he will face no further dangers. Burgin's paintings belie the text, as Little Turtle is depicted in one double-page spread as some giant mutant turtle emerging from the sand. In addition, the pictures of the Sea, in muted, flat purples and greens, do not do justice to her power. Although it is for a slightly older audience, Brenda Guiberson's Into the Sea (Holt, 1995) is a beautifully illustrated, fuller, and more accurate account of this gentle marine creature's life.
Betty S. Evans, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Little Turtle stretched and wiggled. Soon his eggshell began to crack, and the sand trickled down around him.

"Come, Little Turtle," sang the Sea.

"Come, Little Turtle, come home to me."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Crocodile Books (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566563550
• ISBN-13: 978-1566563550
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,604,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for Little Turtle!, April 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea (Hardcover)

It's funny that I read here the recommended age group for this book is 4-8. My 23 mo. old son just adores this book. I came across it at the library. He is mesmerized by it. He eyes become wide & he almost holds his breath when the seagull swoops down on the turtle. Then, on the last page when the turtle is finally swimming in the sea, you'd think he was the one who finally made it to the sea! He turns and looks at me w/a huge smile on his face, so incredibly happy for that turtle!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheridan's Song of the Sea will stay in your heart!, January 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea (Hardcover)

Sheridans beautiful word music will sing in your heart and your soul.

Little Turtle struggles to break free from his shell, but that is just the beginning of his perilous journey to the sea. He encounters the dangers of sand, barriers, preditors and exhaustion, but the Song of the Sea encourages him and helps him along the way.

I promise, this book has it all: tenderness, pathos, danger and triumph of the spirit. The illustrations are beautifully done and so real, my daughter keeps touching them.

My daughter LOVES this story and asked for it to be read at least 5 times the day we got it. She loves the "scary crab" character.

You won't be disappointed in Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea!

5.0 out of 5 stars Hooray for Little Turtle!, April 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Turtle and the Song of the Sea (Hardcover)

It's funny that I read here the recommended age group for this book is 4-8. My 23 mo. old son just adores this book. I came across it at the library. He is mesmerized by it. He eyes become wide & he almost holds his breath when the seagull swoops down on the turtle. Then, on the last page when the turtle is finally swimming in the sea, you'd think he was the one who finally made it to the sea! He turns and looks at me w/a huge smile on his face, so incredibly happy for that turtle!