It’s a beautifully simple story about Turtle and her journey across the ocean to a sandy beach to lay her eggs.
As she swims through the sea, all manner of beautiful sea beasts watch her important migratory path…
The octopus with the dangly, stretchy tentacles saw Turtle.
The fish with the glittery, shimmery scales saw Turtle.
The prawn with the wispy, waving antennae saw Turtle.
But this isn’t just a list of all the amazing creatures in the sea. One of the things I loved most about this book is the unique interactive game it creates.
Throughout the story, the reader is asked, ‘Who saw Turtle?’ and sea beasts from previous pages are repeated.
It creates a beautiful opportunity to ask children to spot the creatures they’ve just been introduced to, and perhaps even to recall the gorgeous descriptions Moriarty uses to describe them.
And then, at the end, when Turtle reaches the beach, the reader is asked to guess what happens next and is rewarded with a beautiful double page spread that will warm hearts.
And then, at the end, when Turtle reaches the beach, the reader is asked to guess what happens next and is rewarded with a beautiful double page spread that will warm hearts.
This book is just perfect for schools and reading aloud to an audience. It invites participation naturally and in such a fun way, children simply won’t be able to resist joining in.
It will teach them about amazing ocean animals and ways to describe their features, as well as the migratory journey sea turtles take to lay their eggs.
And the illustrations, just like the words, are stunning. Colourful and vibrant, they make every turn of the page an awe-inspiring adventure. Balarinji is Australia’s leading Indigenous design studio, and you can see why. These divine illustrations really catch your eye.
At the back of the book you will also find the story rewritten in Yanyuwa, the language spoken by Aboriginal families in Borroloola, Northern Territory, Australia.
This is such a special and wonderful addition to the book, providing children (and adults) an opportunity to study some of the words of a local Aboriginal language.
Kids are going to love this book. It’s colourful, engaging and filled with interesting information. And with a shorter word count and a simple storyline, it's also fantastic for very young children.
Beautiful story, amazing illustrations, engaging information and a fun game to play as you read. It ticks all the picture book boxes!
Title: Who Saw Turtle?
Author: Ros Moriarty
Illustrator: Balarinji
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $12.99
Publication Date: February 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760297800
For ages: 0+
Type: Picture Book
