When children catch living things outdoors, they often want to take them home as pets.  This lovely new book tells the story of a boy who gets to give it a try.  A little boy badly wants a pet, and when he finds a turtle at the park, his parents let him bring it home.  It gradually becomes clear that the turtle isn't happy in captivity and the family returns him to the wild with plans to visit him in the future.   Discuss the meaning of habitat with your child and the value of keeping wild things wild.

Cox Aboretum has a lot of turtles...

Did you know?

"Children who play regularly in natural environments show more advanced motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility, and they are sick less often." 

from: BENEFITS OF PLAY IN NATURE FOR CHILDREN BY RANDY WHITE