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!

I loved the narrator and background music it was relaxing to listen to. This was a descriptive book and was easy to picture the scenes taking place.
I liked how honest it was about the struggles that baby turtles have to go through in order to even get into the water, I think it’s important not to sugar coat the truth, but just to explain it in a way kids can understand which this book does perfectly, even though it is hard to read/hear.
I also liked how this book explained the turtles body structure how it grows and develops over time and how the predators change with the turtle and what they can do to get away at different stages of life.
I also really appreciated the talk on how humans impact the turtles and why we can be a problem and how we can help prevent deaths of turtles as well as why we should care.

I love how informative this book was; I learned a lot about the life of a sea turtle. Kate Coventry did a great job narrating this story and I think that young readers would thoroughly enjoy using this audiobook as an accompaniment when reading the physical book.

I loved this audiobook! The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle is a wonderful book for the younger generation of conservationists. The story of a young sea turtles journey from hatching to the open ocean is told in a way that young children and adults can follow along. Maddalena Bearzi is a sea turtle expert and activist. She does a wonderful job telling a story and educating about the endangered sea turtles.

Kate Coventry did a great job with the narration both as a storyteller and with the authors notes at the end. I love that Maddalena teaches about the different species of sea turtles, gives action steps how we can help protect sea turtles, and tells how to become a marine biologist and researcher - giving our younger generations hope. A serious issue of ocean conservation told in a way that children can feel they can make a change. Once small act really can make a difference.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle explores the journey a sea turtle takes from hatching, until laying her own eggs. It is informative and engaging.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book with my 8 year old and 5 year old, who felt satisfied, and were interested in the content.

The narrator did an excellent job, and sound effects reengage the listeners.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.