Review by Booklist Review
On a Caribbean island beach, a man flips a sea turtle onto her back and steals the eggs she has deposited in the sand. After secretly watching the man, young Bianca runs back to her village and alerts the Tortuga Squad, a group of kids who help the turtle back to the sea before the poacher returns. Many people living on Costa Rica's Parismina Island are active conservationists, patrolling the beach and protecting sea turtles and their eggs. Besides the story of Bianca and her neighbors saving the distressed green turtle, other lightly fictionalized narratives tell of Tortuga Squad members who rescue an almost drowned monkey and hatchling leatherback turtles. Color photos of the children, animals, and settings create a strong sense of place. Some of the photos are quite good, engaging and unstudied, though a few show up more than once in this short book. Readers will learn about threats to sea turtles as well as how people are helping them. An unusual glimpse of children as environmental activists within their own community.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-An exploration of the Tortuga Squad, a group of poor Costa Rican children struggling to save endangered sea turtles that lay their eggs along the sandy coast. The children guide the hatchlings to the sea and have even enlisted one of their grandfathers, a former poacher, to stand guard at a hatchery they built. Bright photos depict the children in action, the turtles and other animals, and the surroundings. The spreads also include attractively arranged maps and drawings and deftly inserted facts about turtles as well as the dangers they experience in the ocean. The simple, dialogue-heavy text enhances the appeal. Burnham has written other books about compassionate efforts by children, such as Doyli to the Rescue: Saving Baby Monkeys in the Amazon (Crickhollow, 2015), that inspire readers to take positive action. Back matter consists of a motivational message from the author. VERDICT A wonderful addition to most collections.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
