A turtle as long as a car? That’s the archelon, the largest turtle to ever exist, fossils of which interestingly are found only in the Northern Great Plains of the United States. In Archelon, the reader learns how this giant turtle was the same and different from today’s turtles. One misleading word choice – when describing diet, the book says the archelon ate fish, jellyfish, and mollusks. Jellyfish, and the squid pictured to represent mollusks, both belong to the phylum Mollusca.

Bellwether Media’s Ancient Marine Life series is perfect for the young paleontologist who is ready to explore beyond dinosaurs. The informational text uses short sentences, supporting graphics, and bolded glossary terms to support developing readers. Size comparisons are made in relation to objects kids can visualize like a couch, a car, or a bus. Endpapers include glossary, index, print resources, and Factsurfer’s curated digital resources. The maps are one confusing feature. The maps on page 5 show the continent configuration during the period in which the animal lived without indicating how long ago it was nor explaining why the continents are different than they are currently. The location map at the end of the text does not indicate if it represents the location of fossil finds or presumed location of the extinct animal’s habitat. All in all, an attractive and engaging series.