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Turtle Island
From the award-winning creator of I'M THE BIGGEST THING IN THE OCEAN comes an inspiring tale of friendship and belonging that's perfect for fans of THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE, OWEN AND MZEE, and Oliver Jeffers's LOST AND FOUND.
Turtle is big. But the ocean is bigger. And Turtle is all alone. Until four shipwrecked folks--a bear, an owl, a frog, and a cat--climb to safety on his shell. Before long, they're fast friends, and the sea doesn't seem so vast anymore. But when Frog confides that he misses his family, Turtle doesn't understand. Isn't he their family? And when the group decides to sail for home, will Turtle be left behind? Never fear--a surprise on the horizon promises friends, family, and a home at last. Uplifting and heartfelt, this is a book about the power of friendship and making a home of one's own.
Turtle is big. But the ocean is bigger. And Turtle is all alone. Until four shipwrecked folks--a bear, an owl, a frog, and a cat--climb to safety on his shell. Before long, they're fast friends, and the sea doesn't seem so vast anymore. But when Frog confides that he misses his family, Turtle doesn't understand. Isn't he their family? And when the group decides to sail for home, will Turtle be left behind? Never fear--a surprise on the horizon promises friends, family, and a home at last. Uplifting and heartfelt, this is a book about the power of friendship and making a home of one's own.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 12, 2023
This was supposed to be on the subject of refugees. It read more pro-colonialism to me though.
The pictures were cute. My daughter enjoyed it. I thought it had a weird message.
The pictures were cute. My daughter enjoyed it. I thought it had a weird message.
December 10, 2023
Someone donated a copy of this book to the branch library I work at and a coworker shared it with me. We were both baffled by this book, glancing at the title "Turtle Island" (a term commonly used by some Indigenous peoples and Indigenous rights activists to refer to North America) and thinking perhaps it would turn out to be a nice work of Indigenous children's literature to add to the collection. Alas! It was quite the opposite. Not only did the story have absolutely nothing to do with Turtle Island (in the sense used by some Indigenous communities), but it had a very weird somewhat disturbing pro-colonial undertone. Before today, I would not have thought anyone would be so culturally illiterate as to use the term "Turtle Island" in a quite literal sense having nothing to do with Indigenous communities or the issues they face. The fact that the story seems to imply that settler colonialism is positive makes this even stranger.
This one is a hard pass for me.
This one is a hard pass for me.
February 5, 2019
Cute picture book about a turtle who is so big that he's literally an island. He shelters some animals who get shipwrecked and becomes friends with them. Then they leave, and he's sad and alone again. But then they return, with their families in tow (and another turtle), and everyone is happy again.
December 28, 2020
Turtle is as big as an island, and when some animals are shipwrecked next to him, he is excited to welcome them to live on his shell. The animals sail away but eventually come back when their friends and family members decide to live on the backs of other turtles.
August 6, 2022
I loved the bold goofy artwork on every page. The watercolor made the wistful page that much more emotional. Fun story. Simple sentences. I tried really hard to get my two year old into it but she just wasn’t having it.
January 12, 2018
He's anatomically correct at all but it's sweet
July 12, 2018
The book was super cute. I enjoyed it, as did the kids. Its silly but also shows how important friends are.
April 17, 2019
Really cute book about friendship and how to build friendship.
May 3, 2019
I want sequels about all the turtle islands!!!
July 1, 2020
Story about making friends and choosing family. Short, cute, easy add to a storytime ending.
February 24, 2021
This wonderful and fun picture book is all about friendship and working together. My story time kiddos loved the giant turtles and all of the fun colored animal friends.
September 2, 2023
A surprisingly heart-warming story about a turtle who saves animals who are shipwrecked...and becomes an island. It's a short simple read, and I liked the art. M has requested it many times.
October 31, 2025
This was creative and adorable. A huge turtle saves some shipwrecked animals, and they become friends. wonderful ending and illustrations.
March 4, 2026
A cute book about a lonely turtle who meets some friends.
October 20, 2016
This was the cutest book! And the author is a great guy as well! My daughter will love! Reminds me of the bear books! Nice illustrations as well!
March 19, 2017
1 1/2 stars.
Friendship.
Friendship.
July 8, 2014
The author of I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean returns with a picture book all about friendship. Turtle is very big but Turtle is also all alone and getting lonely. Then one day, a ship wrecked near him and he rescued a bear, an owl, a cat and a frog from the ocean waters. They climbed aboard his shell and Turtle supplied them with fish to eat. Happily, Owl could knit, Bear could build, Frog could cook, and Cat could draw. The four quickly went to work and created a home aboard Turtle. Turtle wasn’t lonely any more. One might think the book would end there, but instead the four smaller animals got very homesick and missed their families. They had to return home, leaving Turtle all alone in the big ocean again. What is a big lonely turtle to do, especially now that he realizes the importance of having good friends?
Sherry has a way with simple storytelling. He manages to convey complicated emotions using a combination of his storyline and his illustrations. Here the impact of having friends is looked at with humor and through a unique relationship of a huge turtle and characters riding on his back. It’s a very nice metaphor for needing to support friends in different ways.
As with all of Sherry’s books, his cartoony illustrations are child friendly and add to the humor. They keep this story from becoming overly sweet, showing goggle-eyed animals in different colors and always clearly showing that Turtle is simply huge.
Gently funny, simple and honest, this picture book is a friend to any story time on friendship or turtles. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Sherry has a way with simple storytelling. He manages to convey complicated emotions using a combination of his storyline and his illustrations. Here the impact of having friends is looked at with humor and through a unique relationship of a huge turtle and characters riding on his back. It’s a very nice metaphor for needing to support friends in different ways.
As with all of Sherry’s books, his cartoony illustrations are child friendly and add to the humor. They keep this story from becoming overly sweet, showing goggle-eyed animals in different colors and always clearly showing that Turtle is simply huge.
Gently funny, simple and honest, this picture book is a friend to any story time on friendship or turtles. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
July 27, 2014
Turtle is big. But the ocean is bigger. And Turtle is all alone. Until four shipwrecked folks: a bear, an owl, a frog, and a cat--climb to safety on his shell. Before long, they're fast friends, and the sea doesn't seem so vast anymore. But when Frog confides that he misses his family, Turtle doesn't understand. Isn't he their family? And when the group decides to sail for home, will Turtle be left behind? Never fear, a surprise on the horizon promises friends, family, and a home at last.Uplifting and heartfelt, this is a book about the power of friendship and making a home of one's own.
Subjects
Turtles -- Juvenile fiction
Loneliness -- Juvenile fiction.
Friendship -- Juvenile fiction
Animals -- Juvenile fiction
Islands -- Juvenile fiction
Subjects
Turtles -- Juvenile fiction
Loneliness -- Juvenile fiction.
Friendship -- Juvenile fiction
Animals -- Juvenile fiction
Islands -- Juvenile fiction
February 13, 2018
March 2017 - We heard this one at storytime and took it home to read again. I love the combination of gorgeous watercolors and cartoon animals, and Turtle's facial expressions are the best. Not quite as clever as I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean!, but it's more straightforward which I think actually makes it work better with younger kids.
February 2018 - heard it at storytime again, and brought it home again. Sherry's books really grow on me - enjoyable and simple at first glance, but they stand up to rereading. I still adore Turtle's faces, the little details in the illustrations, and those watercolor ocean scenes.
February 2018 - heard it at storytime again, and brought it home again. Sherry's books really grow on me - enjoyable and simple at first glance, but they stand up to rereading. I still adore Turtle's faces, the little details in the illustrations, and those watercolor ocean scenes.
November 23, 2016
A really huge turtle rescues some animals that were shipwrecked and they all become friends and even form a little colony on the turtle's shell. The rescued animals decide they miss their friends and family and rebuild a new ship and abandon the turtle so they can go home. My daughter was distraught when we read about the animals leaving the comforts of the turtle's shell. She didn't want the turtle to go back to being lonely. Overall it was a good book and the illustrations were adorable. Would absolutely recommend.
January 25, 2015
I picked this up for my son because it featured turtles (which he loves), but I ended up liking it more than he did. The book was about a giant turtle who is very lonely until a group of animals shipwrecks and builds a house on top of him. They live together for awhile and become like a family, but eventually they build a ship and go back to their original home. The turtle is sad until they come back with more animals to live on the "turtle island". Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 stars.
May 6, 2014
A charming story of friendship & the lengths we go for those we truly care about. Friendship is often more like family, and this wonderful story certainly explains this kind of love in a fun, and beautiful way for little ears. With illustrations as bright, bold, and cheerful as these, it's a must read for any lover of children's literature & fans of picture book art alike!
May 25, 2014
Cute story about the importance of friends and family. Turtle equates the feeling of being lonely to being as big as the ocean. I loved the picture at the end of the animals building a small village on turtle's shell. I would have loved that illustration as a kid! I think young readers will enjoy this sweet story.
June 26, 2014
Loved the simple, yet beautiful illustrations. There is an image of the turtle trying to pass the time by playing cat's cradle and I am just obsessed with that image. It is an adorable, yet sad image that will stick with me.
Fun book! Good for talking about the importance of having friends around.
Fun book! Good for talking about the importance of having friends around.
June 18, 2015
What a very unexpected tale about a giant turtle! It went well with my storytime theme of giants. It was also a tale of friendship and family. It was fun to add the animal sounds during storytime as we read through the book's characters.
2015 Theme: Giants (Every Hero Has a Story)
Reviewed from a library copy.
2015 Theme: Giants (Every Hero Has a Story)
Reviewed from a library copy.
May 9, 2014
A giant turtle serves as an island for a group of shipwrecked animals. When they sail on he's sad and lonely until they sail back with friends and family.
Pencil, ink, and watercolor illustrations. This one was just okay for me. PreK-2.
Pencil, ink, and watercolor illustrations. This one was just okay for me. PreK-2.
August 20, 2016
Goofy and cute, this is an unusual story about friendship with an enormous turtle.
Veg*n parents note: The turtle catches fish to feed the friends living on his back. One such fish is shown cooked whole and laying on a plate.
Veg*n parents note: The turtle catches fish to feed the friends living on his back. One such fish is shown cooked whole and laying on a plate.
May 12, 2014
This is one of those books that I can't wait to read out loud to a group of children. The story lends itself to ones imagination and can teach the importance of friendship. Large text and colorful illustrations complete this fun book.
May 16, 2014
Turtle is so large he has to live in the larger ocean, alone. Until a shipwrecked crew lands on him and become best friends. But when they have to leave to return to their families what will turtle do? Really sweet.
September 28, 2014
Turtle is big, alone in the ocean and lonely. He solves the being alone by what else becoming an island floating in the ocean where others can live. The having friends theme is dealt with in a unique way here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews