Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle helps Haitian relief

I recently highlighted The Tale of Eartha the Sea Turtle that stressed the importance of living in harmony with nature. Another book about the love that can develop with sea turtles is
Marie and her Friend the Sea Turtle/María y su amiga la Tortuga del mar/Marie et son amie la Tortue de mer: One book written in English/Spanish/French.

I’m pleased to highlight this book because the author, Nicole Weaver, has turned her helplessness into action. From the depths of despair, Nicole has risen out of her own grief for her perished relatives in the Haiti earthquake. Fluent in Creole, French, Spanish, and English, Weaver is reaching out to American families who are contemplating adoption of Haitian orphans by offering support through her blog http://support4usparentsofhaitianorphans.blogspot.com as a one stop resource to make the transition of a Haitian adoption go as smoothly as possible. Weaver is also donating a portion of proceeds from this book to Haiti relief.

Marie is a little girl whose house is built near the bluest of oceans. Every morning, Marie likes to visit the shore to collect seashells. When she sees a large shiny object in the distance, she thinks she’s found the biggest seashell she’s ever seen. But it’s not a seashell, it’s a sea turtle. When she learns the turtle is stuck and cannot make its way back to sea, Marie must find a way to help her new friend get back to its home.

The book takes an unexpected twist as Marie realizes if her parents find the turtle, they’ll cut it up in pieces and make stew. When Marie’s parents arrive on the beach, how will she convince them to carry the sea turtle back to the ocean instead of enjoying a fine stew? I found this part of the story shocking, since I don’t consider turtle standard fare, but it’s also what stands out to me most about this book–Perhaps a different take than others you might read.  To me, the story is not only an introduction to caring for nature, but also an introduction to different cultures.

Written in English, Spanish and French, the book can be used to create discussions about what different cultures eat, and all the unusual delicacies available around the world. It shows that food is a big part of our culture and our world. So remember the next time you throw your nose up at the thought of turtle stew, others might be saying, “Scrumptious!”

Additional Information:
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 36 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (March 16, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1432723774
ISBN-13: 978-1432723774
Source of review copy: author

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