Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius: A True Story about an Amazing Swimmer by Lynne Cox Book Review

 

In this picture book that is both heartwarming and exciting, join Yoshi, a sea turtle, on her remarkable journey as she swims farther than any animal in recorded history--23,000 miles!--to return to the beach where she first hatched, to lay her own eggs.

Inside every loggerhead turtle is genius: the ability to find their first home, no matter how far away. Follow one, from her birth on a beach in Australia...to her trip across an ocean filled with sharks and seahorses and much more...to her rescue from a net by a fisherman, who names her Yoshi...to her rehabilitation at an aquarium...to her record-breaking swim across the Indian Ocean to the beach on which she hatched, to lay her eggs.

Written by Lynne Cox, also a record-breaking swimmer, here is the true story of a sea turtle who swam the longest distance of any animal in recorded history.

My Thoughts

A beautifully written true story about Yoshi the sea turtle and her journey from birth, captivity, and then freedom after 25 years.

A charming book with beautiful illustrations from Richard Jones. The story shares the journey and dangers that all sea turtles face. Yoshi is a Loggerhead Turtle and is on the endangered species list due to them at serious risk of becoming extinct.

You travel with her escaping crabs and foxes after hatching on the beach in Australia into the ocean. She encounters sea horses, clown fishes, and whale sharks most likely. The pictures of the varies ocean life will capture your imagination. The story takes her to a raft of brown algae where she could hide from birds and fish for many months. During that time, she grew bigger and stronger. After five years she made her way to the Southern tip of African where she probably seen some amazing land animals. She got caught in a net. She was able to break free, but the net stayed on her and weighed her down. She needed to get air, but it was hard treading.

In the vast ocean she was seen by a fisherman who seen her struggling. He freed her and tended to her wounds. She ended up at Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa. It became her home, but she became so big, and the aquarium decided to see if she could be released back in her natural habitat.  After eighteen months the tracker was put on her and she was finally free. 

Everyone expected her to mate and head to Cape Town, Africa a large nesting site. As people all over the world watched her progress toward Australia where she went home and laid her eggs.

At the back of the book, you have a page that talks about Loggerhead turtles and Yoshi.

An enchanting story about an amazing turtle with illustrations that will delight the readers.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product in exchange for my honest thoughts.