“Deep in the dunes of a long-ago shore, / the leathery shell of a turtle egg tore. / Out popped a flipper. Then two. Then four. / They scrabbled and scooped, and scrabbled some more.” The little hatchling, a primeval sea turtle called an archelon, soon scuttles from the beach to the water of its ocean home. Evading underwater predators, the archelon grows to its adult weight of two tons, and eventually returns to the beach where she was born to lay her own eggs. The archelon is extinct, but its characteristics are still evident, as “shells of all fashions continue to girdle / the middle of many a tortoise and turtle.” A rhyming and repetitive text with an easy flow conveys equal parts entertainment and information. Oversize pages with boldly outlined illustrations add drama to the ancient creature’s story. (Ages 3–8)