Jackie French (text) and Danny Snell (illustrator), The turtle and the flood, HarperCollins Publishers, October 2023, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460762974
Myrtle the turtle lives by a creek, and sleeps under a log every winter. Myrtle loves to swim in water except when it rises. Myrtle knows a flood is coming, and so do her animal friends when they see her head for higher ground.
An informative and engaging read about the common long necked turtle that can survive at least fifty years, Jackie French thoughtfully shares the story of what happens when a flood is imminent in low lying areas of southern and eastern Australia, and how animals instinctively respond to nature. With calming tones, and combined layouts used to great effect, Danny Snell carefully conveys Myrtle’s slow but imminent trajectory to a safe place until the flood subsides.
Readers will rally for Myrtle and friends to reach safety, and there is plenty of opportunity to cover themes such as perseverance, survival, and the natural environment. A companion title to The fire wombat, The turtle and the flood, is equally thought-provoking about the effects of natural disasters on our wildlife.
Jackie French is an award-winning writer and one of Australia’s most well-known authors writing across all genres. This second collaboration with Danny is a wonderful follow up and will do well with readers in preschool and junior school years.
Reviewed by Shelley Stephens
