Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons (nonfiction)

Title: Sea Turtles
Artist/Illustrator: Gail Gibbons
Genre: Nonfiction- informational
Suggested Grade Level: 2-4

Many students are curious to find out as much about their favorite animal as they can. They want to know everything about them so they can tell all their friends. My favorite wild animal is sea turtles, so when I saw that Gail Gibbons had written and illustrated a book about them, I wanted to learn all about them, just as many students would want to when they see the beautiful picture on the cover. The book provided useful information about sea turtles and also touched on the difference between sea turtles and regular turtles. The pictures pulled in the reader with the beautiful ocean scenery and the graceful turtles floating from page to page.

This book is organized in such a way that the information is presented on each page through text and pictures. Some of the pictures are labeled and graphically organized, while there are also some vocabulary words and definitions on the sides in case children aren't sure of the meanings. The factual information is displayed in a way that shows the eight different kinds of sea turtles, describing one or two per page, including pictures and descriptive labels.

The book is not written in the form of a story, but more of a sequence of one type of turtle after another. The writing is a little dense, using a lot of vocabulary that even I have never heard of before, but it is engaging and interesting information. Gibbons does seem enthusiastic in her writing and readers may even be familiar with her other books, which include many books about animals and other informational reads.

Sea Turtles is definitely visually appealing. There are pictures on every page, filled with not only color but information. The watercolor ocean scenes are beautiful and inviting and help the reader get a sense of the ocean environment the sea turtles live in. Not only are the illustrations captivating, but many of them also contain important information to help clarify vocabulary words and other facts that were not mentioned in the main text. The pictures add to the text on each page in a way that complements what information is being relayed and what the reader should be able to envision.

The information in this book is fairly recent. It was written in 1995, but information about animals rarely changes drastically so it's something that can definitely still be considered accurate. The author may not be an expert on the topic, but she writes about a lot of information topics and is an author that many teachers use in their classrooms. Although the information does present itself as accurate and current, there are no resources listed or suggested resources for additional information.

MA ELA Frameworks: 
RI2.7 Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
RI3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a basis for the answers. 
RI3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
 RI4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.