The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle - by Maddalena Bearzi (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Follow the captivating yet perilous life of one sea turtle in this dazzling nonfiction tale by the co-founder of the Ocean Conservation Society, perfect for fans of Jason Chin's ISLAND.

On a beach at the Ría Lagartos nature reserve in Mexico, a sea turtle is born.

Newly hatched into a big world, she breaks out of an egg buried in the sand. Now, her journey begins. To reach the ocean she must avoid predatory opossums, crabs, and raccoons -- many of her siblings will not make it. But our sea turtle does, and when she finally dives beneath the blue sea, she'll travel for thousands of miles on a beautiful and pulse-pounding adventure.

Brilliant, informative, and compelling, The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle is a sweeping nonfiction tale following one turtle's extraordinary life from hatchling to adulthood, written by sea turtle expert and activist Maddalena Bearzi, and illustrated by rising star Alex Boersma.

Review Quotes

A Junior Library Guild Selection

★ "Mesmerizing and insightful." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A handsome, informative account of a green turtle's life cycle." --Booklist

"[A] lush species biography." --Publishers Weekly

"In this precious new book, Maddalena Bearzi uses her lifetime of knowledge gleaned from her research in oceans and along coasts and combines it with her native warmth and empathy to introduce our beloved children to some of our most wondrous ocean creatures." --Carl Safina, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel

"A wonderful read that will surely inspire young children and adults to care more deeply about our planet. Empathetic, science-based, heartfelt, and very powerful. Every child should read this book!" --Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., author of The Emotional Lives of Animals (revised): A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy―and Why They Matter

"Empathic and scientifically correct, The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle takes on a wonderful journey and gently educates readers about these fascinating animals and the challenges they face." --Daniel T. Blumstein, UCLA Professor and author of The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons from the Wild

"Dr. Maddalena Bearzi has written a beautiful, moving and factually accurate account of the life of a green sea turtle from hatching through the life cycle. Told with gorgeous illustrations by Alex Boersma, we see a tiny hatchling emerge from its nest on a tropical beach, traverse the perils of life in the ocean, and eventually return to the same beach to lay her own eggs. The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle is a lovely story of adaptation, renewal and survival." --Craig Stanford, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Chair, TFTSG, IUCN Species Survival Commission, and author of The Last Tortoise and The Turtle Crisis

"Maddalena Bearzi has done it again, this time by writing a scientifically accurate and moving story of the life of one female green sea turtle, from birth to the laying of her first batch of eggs years later. Dr. Bearzi's trademark love of nature and warmth comes through on every page, here aided by the also accurate and beautiful art of Alex Boersma. While this is labeled a children's book, its educational and moving words of nature will be enjoyed by all ages, and all can marvel and learn." --Bernd Würsig, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University, author/editor of Marine Mammals: the Evolving Human Factor

"This is a book for children of all ages. A wonderfully illustrated timeless story about life in the wild, and also an education about sea turtles in particular and why we need to take better care of marine environments." --Andrew J. Rotherham, Co-Founder & Senior Partner, Bellwether and senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute

About the Author

Maddalena Bearzi is a marine biologist, conservationist, photo-journalist, and published author of books and articles, including Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins, Dolphin Confidential: Confessions of a Field Biologist, and Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times. Maddalena was born and raised in Italy and now lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and dog.

Alex Boersma is a Canadian scientific artist and co-creator of the picture book, The Whale Who Swam Through Time. After studying geology and studio art at Vassar College, Alex worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She now lives in Chicago.