WILD & WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY: Yoshi and the Ocean by Lindsay Moore & Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius by Lynne Cox & Richard Jones
I came across these two picture books about Yoshi, a sea turtle rescued and cared for for twenty years before being returned to the ocean. I enjoyed comparing the two books, both of which are excellent. Each tells Yoshi's story but include slightly different details. Comparing the two would make for a great literacy activity for home or school. Here are my thoughts about each book.
REVIEW
The highlight of Yoshi and the Ocean is the beautiful artwork created using graphite, watercolor, drawing inks, Conte crayon, and color pencils. Beginning on the endpapers with an illustration of a mother turtle making her way back to the ocean, the story imagines what Yoshi's beginning was like before jumping to her discovery by fisherman, injured and alone. The simple, poetic text makes for a great read aloud and nicely compliments the lovely illustrations. The use of the phrase, "Hello from Yoshi. I am here" represents the satellite connection that let scientists know she was alive and moving. Astonishingly, she traveled over 25,000 miles to get back to her original birth location in order to lay eggs herself. The extension back matter provides a map, an anatomical diagram, and other details about sea turtles and Yoshi in particular. A beautiful book for sharing with children and the additional information at the end provides details for those interested. Perfect for use in classrooms or at home.
REVIEW
Using what is currently known about the birth and journey of baby sea turtles, Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius, introduces young readers to the journey of a sea turtle named Yoshi. The text and illustrations highlight the remarkable world that Yoshi dived into with its beauties and its dangers. The first third of the book focuses on what life would have been like for Yoshi and the ghost net that ensnared her and lead to her rescue by a fisherman. Thanks to the tender care of the fisherman Yoshi ("good luck" in Japanese) recovered enough to be given into the care of the Two Oceans Aquarium in South Africa. But the lack of experience with sea turtles led to concerns about her ability to survive in the wild. After twenty years, Yoshi was carefully prepared to return to the ocean. A satellite tag was attached to her shell so scientists could track her travels. Female sea turtles spend all their time at sea, except when they need to lay their eggs. To lay their eggs they return to the beach where they hatched. To everyone's surprise Yoshi swam not up the coast of Africa as expected but across the open ocean to Australia. Her journey was tracked by satellite and published online. Cox's expository text and Jones luminescent illustrations highlight what that journey may have been like for Yoshi. A map is included along with additional information and a photograph in the back matter. This amazingly beautiful book highlights the amazing way that animals do remarkable things, referred to here as 'genius', but it also tells the tale of a remarkable individual animal and how humans helped her follow her instincts.
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