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!
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!
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!
Grab the Free Reading Resources!
In closing, we hope you found this list of turtle picture books helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
