One Turtle's Last Straw: The Real-Life Rescue That Sparked a Sea Change

by Elisa Boxer

The inspiring true story of how one small turtle and kids all over the country sparked an environmental movement. Based on the viral video that created awareness of the harm caused by plastic straws, this heart-wrenching story is a perfect tool for teaching children about sustainability.

Slurp! A boy finishes his drink and tosses it in the trash, straw and all. He moves on without another thought....

In the waters off of Costa Rica, scientists spot an endangered sea turtle and pull him aboard to study him. But he has something stuck in his nose. A barnacle? A stick? No...it's a plastic straw!

This heroic story of one turtle's rescue reminds us that even the smallest straw can hurt our ocean life—and that the smallest demand for change can grow into something big!

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Environment, Childrens, Survival, Science

Audible Audio

Published May 10, 2022

Reviews

[Charlotte Offsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reviewing picture books, I can never seem to get enough of them but I particularly love reviewing them when I get to read ones like One Turtle's Last Straw.

This is the important and heart-squeezing true story of a small turtle who inspired a movement. The book begins with a young boy who finishes his drink and throws the cup and straw into the trash. We then follow the straws journey as it blows out of the trash can and travels down a storm drain, into the ocean, and eventually ends up stuck in the nostril of a sea turtle. The sea turtle is unable to breathe properly and hunt but is found by scientists who are able to help remove the straw. Marine biologists Christine Figgener and Nathan J. Robinson filmed the event and the video has been viewed over 150 million times and has inspired countless to battle plastic pollution and single-use plastics. Everyone needs this book. Everyone needs to fight and speak up for the animals that can't speak for themselves. Please share.

[Pippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely wrote my review as a status but here we go again ! Wonderfully read to me by one of my brilliant 3rd grade students. This children’s book highlights the dangers that pollution, nets, garbage, and the PLASTIC STRAW can have on our beautiful turtles. The illustrations are attractive and poignant. The writing is memorable and clear. Great book to inspire curiosity and research. It also has real life photographs of life saving marine biologists.

I learnt about a new species of turtles : Olive Ridley

[Julie Rowan-Zoch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids love connecting with the natural world and learning how their own efforts might help protect wildlife. In this beautifully illustrated story readers can see how a small effort can make a big difference - and might even spark more! The back matter includes more examples of kid-led efforts and lots of resources to learn more.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ever want to have kids stop using plastic straws, this is the book to read!

[April Chauvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[Sophia Gholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Turtle’s Last Straw wonderfully showcases how humans affect the world around us. This book is not didactic and, instead, leaves the reader with hope, excitement, and ideas for ways to help. This book is beautifully written, gorgeously illustrated, and achieves being both poignant and engaging at once. Children will love the colorful illustrations and page-turning adventure. Perfect for story times, classroom, libraries and home collections!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the environmentally friendly message that this book shares - about how each of us can make a difference and save animals even with small choices.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book, a 3.5 for me, is based on a 2015 YouTube video featuring a turtle who had suffered for weeks after inhaling a plastic straw. Using colorful digital illustrations created with Artstudio and Photoshop, the story follows a plastic beverage straw casually tossed into a trash can by a young boy. There's nothing inherently wrong with his actions, but the straw ends up in a storm drain leading to the sewer that spills its content into the ocean. A hungry sea turtle swallows it along with seawater while snacking on a crab, and the straw becomes embedded in one nostril as the water moves through his nose. For weeks, the turtle suffers, unable to breathe or eat properly until a research team spots him, pulls him aboard their boat, and struggle to remove what they think at first must be a barnacle, a worm or a stick. They are horrified when they finally manage to pull it free from the turtle and realize that it's a plastic straw. The account ends as the turtle is tended to, freed, and then the narration shifts to a young girl refusing a straw when giving her order in a restaurant. It's easy to see and hear the turtle struggling, wincing and hissing in pain through the images, and feel terribly guilty for having used or thrown away a plastic straw. Readers like me who are moved by this true account of what happened concerning the turtle will want to watch the video, and after that, they certainly won't use a plastic straw again. There is an actual photograph of the turtle and the straw in the back matter as well as additional information from the author and a section about how youngsters are working to reduce plastic in the ocean. And while the problem is so much larger than just plastic or plastic straws, as is the case with those plastic rings that hold together soft drink cans and should be cut apart before being disposed, at least these are places to start. Hand this one to any young reader who cares about the environment and wants to make a difference in the world or anyone who thinks that a tiny straw can't possibly do any harm.

[Sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very few children understand where their trash goes. Once it’s in the garbage, it tends to be forgotten. One Turtle’s Last Straw: The Real-Life Rescue that Sparked a Sea Change is an important book that asks children to think about the trash they create, and offers a simple way to make the ocean a safer place for marine life. A cup gets thrown in the trash, and finds its way through a storm drain, ending up in the ocean. A sea turtle gets the straw stuck in its nostril, causing it to have trouble breathing. It begins to lose its sense of smell, which it needs to find food. Research scientists find the turtle, remove the straw, and send it safely on its way. Unasked are the questions: how many straws are out there, and how many turtles aren’t so lucky? The author's note includes a reference to the video made on the researcher’s phone, which has been viewed 150 million times (as of the book’s printing). If you use the video with students after reading the story, as I did, be advised that it contains distressing footage and might not be suitable for younger students. There’s a little blood.
The colorful illustrations were created digitally and move the story along nicely. There is a page on “kids taking action to tackle ocean pollution”, as well as some interesting online resources. This is one of those books that could actually help kids see how their actions can impact the world.

[Isabella Kung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is based on a YouTube video of marine biologists removing a plastic straw from a turtle's nostril back in 2015, the video has since gone viral and now this true story is being retold by Elisa Boxer. I'm so glad Boxer wrote this story to continue advocating for wildlife and the natural world, educating the younger generations about single-use plastics. Boxer wrote it in a way that is relatable and digestible for a younger audience, showing readers how one small action on our part can affect the world around us. And that if we all take small steps to reduce our use of plastic, it can make a world of difference! Digital illustrations by Marta Aalvarez Miguaens are beautiful and captivating, but also accurate and hows just how littered parts of our ocean are. This book should be in every school library!

[Jennifer Buchet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stop talking about this book with my colleagues and friends! This gorgeously-illustrated book explains why so many are moving from plastic straws to paper. The language is both lyrical and simply-told, detailed yet not overbearing, and filled with a sense of urgency and heart My own heart literally cringed when I learned how devastating one straw can be to one animal--imagine what "plastic islands" are doing to the marine world?!? In addition to the lovely illustrations, the backmatter in this book are perfect for older readers & those that want to explore more, providing lots of jumping boards for educators.

[BethFishReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read many picture books, but I do like to review nonfiction STEM books geared to young readers. This book is based on the true story of a turtle that inhaled a plastic straw and the marine biologists who rescued the turtle off the coast of Costa Rica.

The book is nicely illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens, who shows the turtle's discomfort and the diverse research team's concern. Other pages show colorful fish and undersea plants.

The book ends by encouraging kids to do without straws, a photo of the real turtle, stories of young kids helping the environment, and various resources to learn more.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elisa Boxer who wrote the picture book biography of Nancy Pelosi is back with the true story of how one turtle and one straw changed people's straw requesting habits. Based on a viral video of marine biologists saving a sea turtle who had a plastic straw stuck in its nose, this picture book becomes a call to action to reduce and remove plastics from our waterways. The book has additional information in its endnotes including profiles of other young students who were moved to action. Additional references and resources are listed at the end of the book.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's children are absorbing their world at high speeds, including videos that they see online. This charming children's picture book was inspired by a recent viral video showcasing a sick sea turtle rescued by marine biologists with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. The story follows the journey of the straw, how it ended up in the ocean and then in the turtle, and most importantly, the last page empowers children to make a difference in the world by choosing to reduce plastic waste. This story has not only a timely and poignant message but an uplifting one.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Heart wrenching yet hopeful picture book version of the 2015 viral video of the sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose. Lively and kid friendly text and illustrations, lots of back matter. I watched the video after I read the book and now I want to hug all the sea turtles! No more plastic straws! Perfect for environmental units, lessons on the Pacific floating garbage patch, or turtle storytime.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true and impactful story told from the turtle's point of view at first. This turtle gets a drinking straw stuck up it's nose. It makes it difficult to breath and smell which makes it hard to find food. Lucky for this turtle, it is rescued by a team of wildlife researchers who removed it and released it to live it's turtle life. Actual photos of the event make me never want to use a straw again.

[Olivia Luzitano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me because of how much I loved it. I think this really showed the power that social media has to bring awareness to environmental issues (if used correctly). Also very powerful, because we have all seen the video of the turtle with a straw lodged in its nose and felt horrible about the pollution in our oceans.

[Joana Pastro · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all know the dangers of plastic pollution and that it can harm marine life, right? What I love about this environmentally friendly story is that it actually shows the reader how a simple plastic straw can endanger marine life and at the same time how small gestures and changes in behavior can make a huge difference in protecting the environment. Great read!

[Candy Wellins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring story about how small, doable actions have big impacts. This picture book highlights the journey of a discarded plastic straw and it’s devastating effects on the environment (and one turtle in particular). Perfect for young crusaders. Fantastic call to action in back matter too.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this eye-opening picture book shows how detrimental plastic straws and other single-use products can be to marine life. I teared up reading this. This would be an excellent book for Earth Day and an excellent addition to classroom libraries.

[Elizabeth]

Such a sad story.

[Kim Bahr · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad how we (humans) pollute the environment

[Alison]

Reading with my student at Reading Camp. This book definitely contains a powerful message!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly engaging and powerful. I wish there had been 1-2 more pages because the ending felt so abrupt.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this and watch the video that inspired the book. Most importantly, everyone needs to say no to plastic straws!

[Jeani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made the topic very kid-friendly.

[Josephina · Rating 2 out of 5]

i liked everything exept the end of it

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ane elementary level picture book about a turtle getting a straw stuck in it's nose and throat and how it is impacted with a great lesson on how everyone can help.

[Christine Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renewed my passion for reducing waste and living mindfully! Important book

[Mrs. Joyce, School Counselor]

Very straight forward with what can happen to animals with trash, with a happy ending though. Parents may want to read before reading this to their kids-Ms.Celeste