Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles

In a gently empowering story about grassroots activism and facing problems head-on, environmentalist Cousteau and author Hopkinson (Knit Your Bit) introduce Viv, a shy girl who gets to know her new South Carolina schoolmates and environment though a class assignment. Viv and her peers are asked to find a problem facing the community, make a plan to fix it, and take action. After finding a dead baby sea turtle on the beach, Viv learns that turtle hatchlings instinctively follow the moonlight to the water, and the bright lights from beachfront vacation homes can lead them inland. Viv takes the lead on the project, calling it "Lights Out for Loggerheads," canvassing residents and requesting that they shut off outside lights and close curtains after dark. The operation is successful, and the children watch the turtles "scurrying, scurrying over the sand and into the shimmering sea." So's (Otters Love to Play) airy watercolor, pencil, and ink artwork creates a distinctive sense of place, bringing the essence of breezy, coastal evenings to the pages. Ages 5-8. Authors' agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Sally Heflin, Heflinreps. (Apr.)

K-Gr 3—The authors deliver an eloquent environmental message while demonstrating how kids can change the world through teamwork and perseverance. When Vivienne moves into her new home by the sea, she is nervous about finding her way. Her teacher and her classmates welcome her as they jump into an exciting class project—the students are looking for a problem to solve. After school at the beach, Vivienne and her new friend, Clementine, discover that the baby loggerhead sea turtles that are about to hatch may need help making it down to the ocean. The newborn turtles instinctively move toward the strongest light they see, and the brightly lit beach houses could point them in the wrong direction. Vivienne is determined to help the tiny creatures. The students in Mr. J.'s class begin working on the project by gathering information. How will they convince the homeowners along the shoreline to turn off their lights? The children soon involve the entire town as they launch their Lights Out for Loggerheads campaign. By showing the multiple channels that the students work through to raise awareness (posters, fliers, bake sales, a town meeting, the local newspaper, and the Internet), the authors expose readers to accessible, affordable ways to raise issue awareness in communities. So's lovely and bright watercolor illustrations chronicle each stage of the children's cause. The artist deftly captures the energy and enthusiasm in the classroom and the tranquility of the shoreline. The shadowy scene on the darkened beach as the turtles emerge from their nests is particularly atmospheric.