Mystery of the Missing Turtles

Mystery of the Missing Turtles written by Deborah S. Bower, Ricky-John Spencer, Michael B. Thompson, James U. Van Dyke and Elizabeth Hale, illustrated by James O’Hanlon (CSIRO Publishing) HB RRP $26.99 ISBN: 9781486320288

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

If turtles aren’t already your favourite animal, they will be after reading this book.

Brooke lives on a farm and loves nothing more than exploring the creek where she spends her days watching the skinks, water dragons, rakali and all the other animals and birdlife. But the ones she loves the most are the different types of freshwater turtles.

One day she notices there are plenty of big, old turtles but no babies.

Determined to discover why, she goes exploring, only to discover plenty of nests that all contain broken egg shells. With her father’s help, Brooke sets up a trail camera to try and find out who the thief is.

That night, the camera captures the image of a red fox and Brooke realises she’ll need to do something if she doesn’t want the turtle population to die out.

Inspired by the work of Kamilaroi Indigenous scientist, Dr Brooke Kennedy, Mystery of the Missing Turtles not only brings awareness to the often-unnoticed fate of our wildlife but also shows children that there are things they can do to help – even if it’s only on a small scale at first.

A collaborative effort between researchers, scientists, universities and government departments, this picture book is part of the 1 Million Turtles Program. Beautifully illustrated by James O’Hanlon, the story is both compelling and packed with information, including a detailed backmatter section with everything want to know about Australian turtles (including the fun stuff) and a comprehensive glossary.

CSIRO Publishing has identified Mystery of the Missing Turtles for readers aged 5–9 years (and has comprehensive teaching notes on their website) but I personally think this book is the perfect read for people of all ages who love turtles and care about sustainability and the longevity of Australia’s wildlife.