  | True and lucky life of a turtle Author: Montgomery, Sy | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
Here is the true story of a very lucky turtle. His story began long ago when he was hatched from a small egg on a late summer day. After decades of traveling between his summer pond behind the firehouse and his winter pond across the street, he never could have guessed that on one October day he would become unlucky.
| Illustrator: | Patterson, Matt |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/01/25)
School Library Journal (+) (09/26/25)
Booklist (00/09/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Other - 06/23/2025 Resilience forms the backbone of this heartening new collaboration between Montgomery and Patterson (The Book of Turtles), which spotlights the real-life story of a snapping turtle named Fire Chief. From ping-pong-ball-size egg to quarter-size baby to full-grown adult who’s the weight of a lawn mower, the starring reptile is presented as the beneficiary of incredible lifelong luck. Science-oriented storytelling offers informed guesses about Fire Chief’s early years, leading up to his arrival at a rural fire station’s heart-shaped pond, where he’s eventually spotted sunning on a log. Time passes-underscoring the species’ incredible longevity-and the slow-moving animal’s luck comes to an end during an annual migration across a former country lane that’s been developed into a state highway. Luckily, people from the Turtle Rescue League arrive with a plan for rehabilitation, including a special wheelchair, and "human friends" eventually create a new, safer aquatic abode that requires no further road crossings-"What a lucky turtle!" The book’s artist, revealed to own the property on which Fire Chief lives, clearly has firsthand knowledge of the subject, relayed via intricate, hyper-realistic paintings that lend an appropriately documentary feel to this uplifting tale. Human background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. More about Fire Chief and resources conclude. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) - Copyright 2025
School Library Journal - 09/26/2025 K-Gr 4—In this true story from the creators of The Book of Turtles, a snapping turtle named Fire Chief was both lucky and unlucky. When he was born, he was lucky to avoid hungry foxes and coyotes and find a pool where he could live and thrive. But later he was unlucky when he was injured while crossing a highway to his winter pool location. Finally, his luck returned when two workers from the Turtle Rescue League, Natasha and Alexxia, brought him to their turtle hospital, cleaned his wounds, and provided him with care. Other people helped, too. Fire Chief's friends dug new ponds for him—one with a shallow end and one with a deep end—so that he can change locations for the summer when he needs a deep pool and for the winter when he needs a shallow, muddy one. The writing in the book is engaging and clear, with many accessible comparisons for young readers to understand. The illustrations support and extend the text, while also helping readers respond emotionally to what they are reading. A scene of the rainy spring morning when Fire Chief's mother dug a hole and laid her eggs is dark and foreboding with future danger. Other pictures are joyous and caring, as people first discover that there is a turtle in the pond that supplies water to the local firehouse. VERDICT Above all, this essential book provides a unique perspective by showing how communities can enjoy the experience of watching animals that live nearby and assist them as needed so that they continue to live satisfying lives.—Myra Zarnowski - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
