"So even though Nellie wanted to go into the
sea with all the other turtles ...
... she hid instead.
Maybe when she was ready to come out,
things would feel easier."
Cori Doerrfeld is brilliantly adept at creating stories for children that deal with social and emotional learning. Knowing that she has two school-age children, it's easy to understand how she is able to tap into the way children think and react. She creates books that bring empathy and love to the forefront, offering visual stories that tug at the heartstrings and show characters at their most vulnerable. That is the case with her new book about a tiny baby turtle named Nellie.
The opening endpapers show one egg left to hatch as many new sea turtles make their way to the ocean waters. Nellie is that last hatchling, and is feeling sooo small. It looks like a long way to go to get to the water, and Nellie is not sure she can make it all the way. The waves are huge and very intimidating for someone so tiny. She goes in the opposite direction as they crash on shore in front of her, choosing to hide herself in a nearby shell and wait for a better time. Even smaller waves prove scary.
A marauding seagull makes things ever more difficult. Avoiding capture, Nellie meets a creature who might prove helpful; but that seal loves the waves and the excitement of leaping into those very waves. With no help to be found, Nellie's fear grows. In desperation, she climbs to the highest point on the beach. The waves can't reach her there. Still, she feels cold, lonely, and wants to be with her turtle family. Can she make the decision needed to be with them? The lure of the ocean itself and her inner courage prove that she can take a leap of faith and find her way home. Huzzah!
Signature digital art introduces another empathetic and excpressive character. The changing perspectives offer readers a real feel for the dilemma facing Nellie, and the beauty of her environment once she faces her fear.
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