THE YEAR OF THE TURTLE: A Natural...

THE YEAR OF THE TURTLE: A Natural History by David M. Carroll (Camden House: $17.95, illustrated). This handsome volume is based on the writer/artist’s journal of a year’s observations of the turtles in a New Hampshire wetland. Throughout the seasons, Carroll walks through the marshes, observing the life cycles of the painted, spotted and snapping turtles in the ponds and the box turtles in the surrounding woods. He protects their nests from marauding raccoons and skunks, and sketches the tiny hatchlings when they emerge. Carroll’s detailed water color studies highlight his pleasant, if slightly romanticized account of these ancient reptiles.