Nicola Davies - One Tiny Turtle

I've come across Zoologist Writer Nicola Davies books a few times over the past year or so - her work is found in quite a lot of those photo-illustrated nature books in the library and is also more prettily, accompanied by illustrators in the picture book section. Shes a wonderful writer, explaining the natural world in a way I'm pretty sure anyone who knows about it all, would approve.

I have reviewed Poo! here, and (just buy it - such a good book) and I've thought of buying What's Eating You? - another from the series, only I know it will make my head itch. Maybe Extreme Animals would be a more comfortable option? (All three are short wide-ish paperbacks which fit easily into a Christmas stocking.)

One Tiny Turtle - Now, I just read this last night, and I wrote the above yesterday afternoon so I'm sorry to say I need to add here that while the book is as beautiful and informative as I hoped, it did make my son cry. Oh dear, the life of a baby turtle can be quite sad.

This is an adult Loggerhead Turtle (yes, like the one in Finding Nemo.)

And this is where it gets a bit, well, emotional. She has found the beach where she will lay her eggs. She runs the risk of getting too hot on the sand and dying so mostly, she does this at night. There's more too it than that but anyway, its worrying.

Six to eight weeks later her eggs hatch, and the babies make their way to the water, using the line of light between the sea and the sky to guide them. Sometimes though, there are lights on streets or buildings nearby and they head in the wrong direction. Oh my goodness, they're only babies! Its heartbreaking! And see those birds, there, waiting to pounce?

And a little detail; yes, those are crabs catching the turtles. Sigh.

In the end, one little turtle, (only one!) makes it. And I go downstairs to relax and drink my Friday night wine, to be called back up five minutes later by a very sad little boy.