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.

Written By: Donna Rathmell
Photographs By: Barbara Bergwerf 

“Rathmell’s book will find easy readers….” – School Library Journal

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

Purchase:

32 pg, 8.5" x 10", Ages 4-8
Hardback w/ Jacket- ISBN: 978-0-9764943-0-0 , $15.95

Paperback- ISBN: 978-1-934359-00-6, $8.95

Author/Artist Bio:

Donna Rathmell (German) 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. Donna is one of those amazing women whose zest for life has led her to diverse professional and personal pursuits. She worked as a stock broker with a large firm during the early 1980’s. 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.

When she married Lee German, a U.S. Naval Officer, Donna committed herself to home and family, and raised three daughters while moving every few years. Not only did she write the cookbook series during this time, but she also ran a successful newsletter business. In 1999, when, Lee retired from the Navy, the family decided to try living aboard and traveling on a sailboat for one winter. The one winter quickly turned into four and a half years, as the family traveled the Caribbean and guided their children’s boat-school education with an emphasis on marine ecology. Upon returning to land life, Donna became 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.

Barbara J. Bergwerf is a former Chicago Tribune Photographer – one of the first female photographers at the Tribune. She and her husband, dog and a very talkative parrot, left the cold, windy city of Chicago for the warm, sunny beach off Charleston, SC.

Barbara's commitment to nature is evident in her wildlife photography business and her donation of time and her photographic skills to the South Carolina Aquarium, the South Carolina Center For Birds of Prey, and the Island Turtle Team on Isle of Palms. Barbara's photographs also grace the book jackets and internet site of best-selling novelist, Mary Alice Monroe. To visit her Web site, click here.

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