I loved the way this audiobook incorporated the sounds of the ocean and the reading. It shared a ton of information about sea turtles and could be great for a marine science unit.

I will say when dealing with harder topics such as death and predation, this book was harsher than I would expect for a children's book. There is a way to address this without being so unflinching and harsh.

Genre: Children's Nonfiction
Age: Children (My recommended ages 7-12)
Themes: Science, Animals, Marine Science
Trigger Warnings: Predation, Animal Death
Read For: Netgalley
Obtained From: Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the Advanced Listening Copy

This sweet book was a delight to listen to, and the narrator's soothing voice was a perfect match for the text. This isn't just a fictional, fun story but rather a potentially true journey of a sea turtle from egg to adulthood. We don't know everything that a turtle experiences on their long life, but this book explores many possible outcomes, discussing how difficult it is for sea turtles to even make it all the way out to sea. There are lots of obstacles they must overcome including predators, illness, and of course, even humans.
The music and sound effects are really effective here, and the audiobook would be a great companion alongside the physical copy as a child (or anyone) is reading along. It concludes with lots of specific information on types of turtles as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARL. All opinions are mine.

This is a nonfiction book about Sea Turtles. This starts on a beach in the Yucatán Peninsula before a female sea turtle is hatched and the narrative follows her until she lays her eggs on the same beach. This is interesting, informative and told in an extremely engaging tone. I like that the author shares her own story about her interest in marine biology and encourages children to explore the world around them.

My granddaughter loved this. We googled Sea Turtles after this so she could see what they looked like. She is in 3rd grade and not in love with audiobooks so I was surprised this held her interest.

This features a high quality audiobook production with a musical soundtrack narrated by Kate Coventry. Kate has lovely and inviting voice, perfect for children books. The music was softly in the background and did not interfere with hearing the narration.

Thank you to Maddalena Bearzi, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle by Maddalena Bearzi
Narrated by Kate Coventry
Published by Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners
Release May 13, 2025

Delightful book narration of sea turtles by Maddalena Bearzi. The audio production was superbly produced and includes sound effects. A child can hear the ocean: waves, birds, and movements of sea life. Definitely recommended for classrooms, library story time and homes to include with the illustrated picture book. I especially love that the author has given an inside perspective of a sea turtle’s life and the dangers they overcome to survive. What an amazing audiobook for young readers to enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for an advanced audio for an honest review.

From the opening words this audio is immersive and informative! I loved Kate Coventry’s narration! She brought drama and flare! I was so invested in this turtles life. This felt like a mini podcast episode and production quality was soo good! The music, the narration and story line were l excellent. Also this was approachable, easy to follow and taught me so much! Can’t wait to listen again with my kids.

I plan on ordering the book so we can look
At the illustrations together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 out of respect to the author.

My review reads as if this had been a book for my daughter when she was young. Reptiles and amphibians were her favorite animals, and she was particularly intrigued by all types of turtles! For this reason, my review includes harsh criticism.

Positives:
The cover is adorable. The title invites interest. Informational text about the variety of turtles was very well done.

Criticism:
The book is listed as nonfiction; however there were generalizations. One example regards the hazard of turtles being caught in fishing nets and a statement was made that "many fishermen don't care" to use the safer options.

The cover and title do not correctly represent the book's substance. My most critical assessment comes from the negative, and almost scary, tone of the book. While I agree that a nonfiction picture book of this type should absolutely include the hard facts of a turtle's life, the wording came across as unnecessarily harsh. Again, keeping my daughter in mind, I would have had to handle a lot of emotional recovery if she had come across this book on her own.

Incredibly informative & perfect for a preteen & older@to learn about how marine researchers work
and learn their craft.
Realize that secret turtle life is full of hazards & of a nest of 100s only a small number of sea turtles get to survive to the ocean & from the predators of the babies there.
It's also sad so many sea turtle species are currently critically endangered or threatened.
Learn, youngs. Not all you learn is good news though.

This was a very interesting book. It teaches children about Sea Turtles and what to do if you find a nest. Got good information and it was very well written and easy to read/listen to for children. Highly recommend.
I love the narrator, she did a great job!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version of this book!

This is a quick story for the sea turtle lover! The story is scientifically based as we follow the life of a sea turtle from egg to becoming a mother herself.

The author goes into detail what obstacles our new hatchling turtle faces from the time the egg is laid, the effort of digging out of the sand to then trek to the ocean. Where yet more danger awaits!

After the story, the author shared why turtles are near and dear to her. She provides ways to aid our sea turtles.

If you are looking for a book that has a wonderful and accurate description of the turtle’s circle of life and additional information to take the story further? This is for you! This would be a wonderful addition to an elementary classroom.

I enjoyed the narration and sounds that were added to this audiobook. My 9 year old and I both loved feeling like we were right there with the turtles, immersed in the sounds around them.

If you like books on audio that are short and packed with information but aren't dry, you will enjoy this. Full of adventure and grit, this book follows the journey of a sea turtle from a young hatchling, noting all the perils along the way.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy to enjoy.

My first ever children’s nonfiction audiobook—and what an excellent introduction to the genre! This beautifully narrated story follows the life journey of a sea turtle, and I was truly impressed by how it manages to balance scientific facts with emotional storytelling.

Bearzi doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities these creatures face—pollution, habitat loss, climate change—but it’s all handled in a way that’s age-appropriate and deeply respectful of young listeners' intelligence and capacity for empathy. Kate Coventry’s narration adds warmth and wonder, perfectly capturing the awe of ocean life.

The best part? The included actionable tips—things we all can do to help sea turtles survive and thrive. It’s educational, empowering, and inspiring, for kids and adults alike. Highly recommend for families, classrooms, or anyone looking to dip into accessible, impactful nonfiction.

Beautiful book to teach about the life of a female Green Sea Turtle. At the end all the sea turtles are listed with their classifications. The author promotes Marine Biology, nature and conservation.

I would really love to see the illustrations for this book. The audiobook was good. I enjoyed the narrator and background noises/music.

The book was very informative and would be great for teaching kids about turtles. However, make sure your kids know about the circle of life and predators/prey. This book did not hold back when talking about how most baby sea turtles die. As long as you’re ok with that topic, it’s a great informational book about sea turtles.

The music and sound effects in this audiobook are lovely and the narrator somehow manages to be both soothing and also exciting at the same time. This book is perfect for an animal loving child, or a bedtime story that's still educational.

I felt like the reading level was also moderately universal. The language was pretty conversational so I felt like a kindergartener could understand if they can focus on it, but I also felt like my sixth grader would also be interested and entertained.

Excellent read!

This book was a beautiful, informative book about the sea turtle. I found it to be a beautiful story that was so delightful and I know my students will love it!

The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle would be excellent fit students learning the life cycle of a sea turtle as well challenges they must face to survive in the ocean and making it from the nest to the water. This book would be an invaluable resource for elementary research, the lover of sea turtles, as well as the student who wants to learn more about science in general and various types of turtles. Additional
Info at the end of the book regarding practical applications to protect sea turtles and work in the field in various careers. For the audio arc, the narration and music enhanced the experience of the text.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc in exchange for my honest opinion. .

This was a really well done educational read about the life cycle of sea turtles.
The audio felt like a bite sized episode of National Geographic.
It follows a singular seas turtle from hatching and all the adventures she has along the way to making her own babies.
I do think parents should read this before giving it to their teeny humans since there is some real life trauma that could be hard for littluns.
Highly recommend to anyone curious about sea turtles or just looking for a short interesting read.
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

This audiobook is so, so well done! I love the narrator's (Kate Coventry) voice and enthusiasm for the story, as well as the additional sound effects/music. My two daughters - 5yo and 9yo - were captivated the entire ~20 minutes. My poor youngest started to tear up when a crab snatched up one of the baby turtles for dinner. This listens to almost like an informative meditation - it is wonderful! I will be buying a physical copy since I just know the illustrations will be phenomenal! Maddalena Bearzi knocked it out of the park with her comprehensive, beautifully written The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle!

Enjoyed this audiobook with 5year old child.
She was very interested in the new facts she now knows about sea turtles and has requested to listen again and again.

informative while remaining exciting, captivating my young reader from start to finish

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I never thought when I watched sea turtle videos how few make it to adulthood. You see all those little turtles emerge and most of them don't make it to the next day. It's an amazing story of survival, strength and luck that get a sea turtle to adulthood and laying their own eggs!