Kidzone

Today, May 23, 2013, is World Turtle Day.  Huge fan of this wacky holiday for two reasons.
1. I had a pet turtle named Fred when I was a kid.  He lived in an aquarium in our dining room, but he would escape every day and crawl down the hall to hide under my bed.  He was a red eared slider.
2. I loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was a kid -- the cartoons, the toys, the breakfast cereal.  My favorite was Donatello, the one in purple with the bo staff and the brains.  In fact, I still have a collection of Donatello figurines.  The second live action movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, holds an especially special place in my heart.  When my dad came back from Desert Storm in 1991, he took us to the movie theater to watch it.
Even if you don't believe in "Heroes in a Halfshell" or "Turtle Power", help me celebrate!  Check out some of these books and DVDs devoted to turtles!
PICTURE BOOKS
The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick
Emma's Turtle by Eve Bunting
Melvin and the Boy by Lauren Castillo
Mossy by Jan Brett
Red Red Red by Valerie Gorbachev
Tortuga in Trouble by Ann Whitford Paul
Turtle Splash!: Countdown at the Pond by Cathryn Falwell
Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre
The Voyage of Turtle Rex by Kurt Cyrus
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss

CHAPTER BOOKS
Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi by Pyllis Shalant (#1)
The Lighthouse Family: The Turtle by Cynthia Rylant
Tess the Sea Turtle Fairy by Daisy Meadows
The Turtle-Hatching Mystery by Mary Casanova

INFORMATIONAL BOOKS
Caring for Your Turtle by Colleen Sexton
The Life Cycle of a Turtle by Colleen Sexton
Sea Turtles by Gail Gibbons
Sea Turtles by Laura Marsh
Terrific Turtles by Anders Hanson
Watch Me Grow Turtle by Lisa Magloff

DVDs
Everyone Loves Mel (2011)
Franklin Favorite Turtle Tales (just one of many Franklin DVDs)
Ninja Turtles, the Next Mutation: Volume 1 (2012 - Shout! Factory)
Ninja Turtles, the Next Mutation: Volume 2 (2012 - Shout! Factory)
Over the Hedge (2006)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (original cartoons -- have all 10 seasons)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (1991)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III  (1993)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles (2012 - Nickelodeon)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever (2010)
TMNT (2007)
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (2011)