Review of The Hero of Hawk's Nest Beach: A Sea Turtle Rescue

[Runan]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Hero of Hawk's Nest Beach: A Sea Turtle Rescue" by Barbara Gervais Ciancimino.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Finn’s best friend is Little Mutt. Together, the two dogs have fun at 'Hawk’s Nest Beach' in Long Island Sound. They chase seagulls during the summer, enjoy their time with the kids, and eat yummy hotdogs that fall off the grill.

The Hero of Hawk’s Nest Beach: A Sea Turtle Rescue by Barbara Gervais Ciancimino tells the tale of the bravery of Finn and his companion Little Mutt. Finn’s life is great, but he envies the show dogs on TV who seem to enjoy their lives to the fullest. He feels that the fancy show dogs lead an enriching life, quite contrary to his mundane life, and he hopes to be one of them someday. He decides to shun those thoughts temporarily and join the kids with Little Mutt for a fun crabbing session. The kids catch a big crab and place it in a bucket that belonged to a little girl. As eager as a dog can be, Little Mutt leans forward towards the crab, only for the crab to open its pincers and try to grab him. Astonished, Little Mutt pushes the pail into the sea. All of them watch in dismay as the bucket sinks. The little girl cries. Her cry pierces Finn’s heart, and without a second thought, he leaps into the sea to fetch her bucket. What awaits Finn in the sea is beyond his imagination, and as the title gives away, it’s a sea turtle in need of help.

Will Finn be able to help the sea turtle? Will he need someone’s help in the rescue? You will find the answers in the book. Told in third-person, the author lets the readers peek into the thoughts and emotions of the characters. The illustrations capture the feel of the story and take the readers on a trip to the beach. Underlying the suspense in the story is the informative educational content beneficial to children. Children learn about environmental conservation and facts about the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. The author uses the characters effectively to imbibe moral lessons into the young readers. A noteworthy instance would be the author’s display of altruism through the character of Finn. He leaps into the sea without a second thought to fetch the little girl’s bucket in the hopes of cheering her up.

I love that the author does not leave loose ends in the story. She puts a befitting end to Finn’s wish of becoming a fancy show dog. I felt the children’s role in the overall story was sidelined. Their contribution did not receive appreciation. That was the only thing I felt could have been better. Well, this does not deserve a star deduction from my rating.

Young children would definitely relish this book. Simple sentences further enhance their overall reading experience. Parents can read this book as a bedtime story to their children as well. Plus, the immaculate editing is a bonus. Taking all of the above things into consideration, I give this book a rating of 5/5.

******
The Hero of Hawk's Nest Beach: A Sea Turtle Rescue
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Gerry Steen]

Hi, Runan, you did a great review of this children's book. Children must receive environmental lessons and learn about bio-diverse creatures that need to be saved from becoming extinct. The children who read these books may be our future leaders and decision-makers. This book is worthy of being read to my grandchildren. Thank you for your informative review.

[Bettny Andrade]

I love these types of stories. The aurors try to share that the annals have such sincere love and loyalty! Thank you for making this review.

[Mari Thompson]

This sounds like an adorable heart-warming children’s story. It sounds educational too. Thanks for the five-star recommendation.

[Sadiya_Khan]

Reading your intriguing review shows that this gonna be a perfect read for little kids to learn not only valuable lessons but also facts about various creatures.

[Claudia Angelucci]

This sounds like a lovely children's book. My kids would love to read it. I love the fact that it seems to have proper illustrations instead of those computer-generated. Well done!

[ansu alex 1]

This made a great bedtime story as was suggested by the reviewer.
We enjoyed the book and it’s captivating and tasteful illustrations.
This story provides environmental insights, morals like kindness, helpfulness and compassion.
The no loose ends part is also so true, giving the reader a very satisfying feeling at the end. The dogs look so cute in the bandanas. Hats off to the illustration team for the book and the cover.