Spring is a great time to discuss and explore turtles, but really you can do this any time of the year. This post shares turtle picture books that you can use for this purpose. All of the picture books on this list lend themselves to this topic really well. Take a peek below to learn more about these turtle picture books!

4 Turtle Picture Books
Below is a list of some of our favorite turtle picture books to share with elementary students. Check out these read alouds below!
1. The Box Turtle by Vanessa Roeder
Terrance is a box turtle that was born without a shell. His parents gave him a box to wear instead and reminded him he is much more than a shell. Terrance had always been proud of his shell because it kept him dry, safe and was big enough to share with friends. One day, some other turtles told Terrance that his box was weird. That’s when Terrance decided he would go out and find something new.
Terrance tried about many different boxes for a shell. He tried a mailbox, flower box, hat box, boombox, and jack in the box. However, none of the boxes he tried seemed to fit right. Terrance’s hermit crab friend took off his own shell to give to Terrance. In that moment, he realized his friend was more than his shell, and he could be too.
Terrance and his friends went back to get his old box but found it had been broken. The friends worked together to fix it and even decorate it. When the other turtles called his box weird, Terrance didn’t care. He was happy because he finally realized he was really more than just a shell.
Check out these The Box Turtle teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
2. Truman by David McCullough
Truman the turtle lived with his Sarah high above all the honking, beeping, and shrieking in the city below. He loved living with Sarah because she was pensive and peaceful just like he was.
One morning, Sarah ate a big banana, put on a new sweater, clipped a bow into her hair, and carried a new backpack. Before she left, Sarah gave Truman some extra green beans and told him to be brave. Truman waited and waited for Sarah to come home but when Truman realized she had been gone longer than ever before, he decided to go out and look for her. Truman had never left his tank before. He used the three big rocks in his tank to climb out. Leaving the tank was unsettling for Truman. The house looked so big to him and although he could hear all the noises from the street, he couldn’t see them anymore.
As Truman made his way across the giant rug, he heard some noises out in the hall. Suddenly, Sarah opened the door and came running inside. She was surprised to see Truman and picked him up right away. Truman was proud of act of bravery and Sarah returned him to his tank. One day, Sarah even took him to school one day for show and tell!
Check out these Truman teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
3. Alfie by Thyra Heder
The story Alfie is about a girl named Nia and her pet turtle Alfie. The story starts from Nia’s point of view. She loves her turtle Alfie but she thinks that he doesn’t notice the different stories she tells him or dances she teaches him. After a while she forgets about him, until he disappears on her seventh birthday.
The story changes to Alfie’s point of view. Alfie loves Nia and she makes him feel incredibly happy with her stories and dance moves and she always makes him laugh. He escapes on her seventh birthday so that he can find the perfect gift for her. It takes him a long time to find the perfect gift for her, and a whole year goes by. He arrives to her party on her eighth birthday, with the perfect present.
Students will love this cute story about a turtle who truly loves his owner and wants to be able to show it.
Check out these Alfie teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
4. Mossy by Jan Brett
Mossy is a turtle that lives in Lilypad Pond. She is a special turtle because a garden grows on her back. There are flowers, plants, and berries that grow on her shell, making her look unique and beautiful. One day, Mossy runs into another turtle, Scoot, and the two are amazed by one another. However, before they can get close, Dr. Carolina scoops Mossy up.
Dr. Carolina owns a museum nearby. She and her niece Tory were taking a walk when they noticed Mossy and Dr. Carolina thought she would be perfect for the museum. Mossy becomes a popular attraction at the museum, but Tory notices Mossy seems sad. When Tory’s class visits the museum, the classmates wonder if Mossy has friends. This gives Dr. Carolina the idea to have a portrait made of Mossy for everyone to see. This allows them to return Mossy to the pond where she reunites with Scoot.
Check out these Mossy teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
Or Get All of the Activity Packets for 600+ Picture Books!
Starts with a Story is a collection of hundreds of book companions based on high quality children’s literature that support you in delivering highly-engaging interactive read alouds with follow up activities. Each book companion includes:
- reading comprehension questions with sample student responses
- 30 writing prompts targeting 10 different types of writing
- SEL lesson ideas based on character and events from each story
- printable student activities
- editable teaching slides with book-based clipart
- and more.
Learn how to get unlimited access to all 600+ book companion packets below!

One Last Thing Before You Go… Grab this Free Reading Resource!
If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It includes:
- seasonal read aloud books lists for teachers
- printable reading logs to track students’ reading
- monthly reading challenges to motivate students to read more
It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!

In closing, we hope you found this list of turtle picture books helpful! If you are a member of Starts With a Story, you have access to all of these book companion activities. Do you want more book recommendations? Check out this massive list of mentor texts for elementary teachers!