By Kurt Cyrus, Harcourt Children’s Books, 32 pages

-Swim with a Prehistoric Turtle!-

One species of animal that faces ecological hardships is the sea turtle. Seven species exist today and each one faces challenges of epic proportion compared to their tiny size. Commercial fishing, pollution, development, and other human activity make it tough for sea turtles to survive. But what about prehistoric sea turtles? Author Kurt Cyrus tells the story of the life of one giant archelon in his book The Voyage of Turtle Rex. Cyrus has written over 20 books for young readers. This book is told in rhyme, which makes it perfect to read aloud. Cyrus repeats action words so kids can participate in storytelling. “The turtle was small. But her flippers were big, the better to dig with. Dig! Dig! Dig!” Parents and teachers reading aloud will love Cyrus’ use of alliteration. Words like “spoosh,” “fizz” and “swish” pop off the page!

Sea creatures including plesiosaurs and mosasaurs are part of the archelon’s voyage. Kids will learn that prehistoric and modern sea turtles share the amazing need to return to the beach where they were born. This is a great way to introduce scientific ideas like instinct. Check out Tadpole Rex, the companion book to Turtle Rex.

Elizabeth Franklin