Carolina's Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too!

Follow the photo journal of Carolina, a critically ill loggerhead sea turtle, as she is cared for and nursed back to health at the Sea Turtle Hospital of the South Carolina Aquarium. Just like hospitalized children, Carolina goes through a variety of emotions and procedures during her care and recovery process. When she first arrives at the hospital, she is too sick, weak, and confused to understand what is happening. She has blood drawn, x-rays taken, gets shots, and is fed through an IV...just as ill children may be! As she gains strength, she begins to interact with her caregivers and to, begrudgingly, understand that they are really trying to help. Join her as she interacts with her many caregivers and her sick or injured roommate turtles. Celebrate the happy day she is released back into the open arms of the ocean - a healthy and happy sea turtle! The "For Creative Minds" section includes a craft, game ideas and information on sea turtles. The author and photographer donate a portion of their royalties to the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Program at the South Carolina Aquarium.

“Magnificent, bright, and glossy photos in this 32-page picture book join with well-written text to make a winning combination. This book is an excellent supplement to science, reading, and math classes.” – Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database

“This is a delightful book that will promote the understanding of the biology and conservation of sea turtles in general.” – Science Books & Film

"A moving and enjoyable story about a turtle in distress that illustrates the good humans can do to preserve the diversity of the planet as well as a wonderful learning experience for children." - Dr. Robert D. Ballard, Institute For Exploration (IFE) at Mystic Aquarium, Explorer-in-Residence for the National Geographic Society

Author/Illustrator Info:

Donna Rathmell German (Carolina's Story and Octavia) is the author of 16 cookbooks, four of which were New York Times best-sellers including The Bread Machine Cookbook Series, which have sold more than 3 million copies. The 1990's brought extensive media experience promoting her cookbooks, with appearances on such nationally respected programs as The Today Show, The 700 Club, Attitudes with Linda Dano, QVC, and a host of other radio and television programs. Donna is a volunteer at the South Carolina Aquarium, where she has developed a keen interest in their sea turtle rescue program. It was there that she met Barbara Bergwerf, the photographer for Carolina's Story. Two of life's inspirations led to the writing of Carolina's Story: one day, several years ago, the dock master at the marina called to ask Donna to safeguard an injured sea turtle that stranded nearby. As she and her daughter waited for the rescue team to arrive, she began to think about the importance of helping endangered turtles thrive in their natural environment. The second inspiration occurred when Donna was introduced to the Sea Turtle Hospital. She recalled an incident from years before when her then five-year-old daughter was injured in a fall and had to be rushed to a nearby Children's Hospital. The terrifying experience of emergency surgery and the attendant tests and medications brought to mind the same treatments she was seeing with the turtles. She saw both experiences as a way to increase children's awareness and respect for the natural world, and wrote a book that is also an invaluable resource for educating children on what to expect from their own medical treatment. Visit Donna's Website / School Visit Info.

Barbara J. Bergwerf - nature photographer extraordinaire has done it again. Barbara has collaborated with best-selling novelist Mary Alice Monroe on Turtle Summer: A Journal for my Daughter which joins her other photographic book about loggerhead sea turtles; Carolina's Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too! Both books stem from Barbara's volunteer involvement at the South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital, the Island Turtle Team on Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island, and the South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey. Barbara thought that she was retiring when she and her husband left the Chicago area and moved to the South Carolina Lowcountry. Somehow �retirement� doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary! Visit Barbara's website.