Turtles in My Sandbox

A few decades ago, it was a common thing to have terrapins as pets in homes and classrooms. One could win them at fairs and buy them with painted shells at seaside resorts. It was a shame then that there was not more education about terrapins and their natural habitat. Jennifer Keats Curtis' most informative book would have been welcome then as it surely is now. Children can easily relate to Ms. Curtis' book and the tale of Maggie who finds terrapin eggs in her sandbox! With the help of the Turtle Lady, Maggie and her mother care for the eggs until the turtles hatch and are released back into the sea. It is a delight that Ms. Curtis uses the scientific terms for the body parts of the terrapins as it helps children stretch their vocabularies. Emanuel Schongut's watercolor illustrations are clear, detailed and offer excellent support to the text. The facts and color activities at the end of the book are a first-rate addition to the book. This book is highly recommended for ages 4 - 10, and will be a great addition to second to fifth grade science units in classrooms.

I was delighted to see that SylvanDell published another book with illustrations by Emanuel Schongut. I had previously bought 6 copies of A Christmas Blizzard, so moved by the wonderful story and pictures, ,and gave them out last year as Christmas presents. I have done the same this year with this lovely book. Schongut manages to capture, not just the world of J.K. Curtis' story, but a joyful and colorful emotion that is so lacking in many children's books marketed today. The story is also rich in empathy and the wisdom of conservation and wildlife protection. I thoroughly recommend this book.

My 5 year old daughter's curiosity was engaged by this beautifully illustrated book. It is wonderful to read a children's book that tells a great story, while teaching kids the value of caring for one of the jewels of the Chesapeake Bay. Now my daughter is asking if she can become a turtle sitter just like the girl in this story. I can't think of a better way to help her learn a bit about responsibility while having a whole lot of fun watching our terrapin grow. Thanks for a fun read!

We bought this book for our 4 year-old daughter and she LOVES it. The illustrations are beautiful and she loves hearing the terrapins' names and likes to imagine she's Maggie. We condense the story a little for her, so I think the book would be great for older kids too. The story has great habitat and animal details as well as a nice conservation lesson. Highly recommend it for anyone familiar with the Chesapeake Bay!

Turtles in My Sandbox is an excellent children's story that not only teaches kids about caring and responsibility but also provides accurate details, in an easily cmprehendable manner, on the natural history of the Maryland diamondback terrapin. My 9 year old daughter loves the latest Jennifer Curtis-Keats story and the colorful illustratons provided by Emanuel Schongut, and so will any other inquisitive youngster, including adults.