Except Antarctica (Hardcover)
"Delightful and hilarious."—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
Turtles are found on every continent EXCEPT Antarctica. But not for long! Follow along as a rogue group of determined animals embark on an adventure (and defy their flustered narrator in the process) in this funny animal picture book for kids!
When the narrator explains that turtles are found on every continent except Antarctica, one determined turtle sets out to prove him wrong. After recruiting other non-Antarctic animals along the way—much to the narrator's dismay—turtle and his friends travel through fields, forests, and cross an entire ocean to reach their goal. But what exactly do they do once they get there?
This nature-documentary-gone-wrong is a gleefully funny lesson in determination, and includes educational backmatter and lots of animal fun facts!
Todd Sturgell is an illustrator, author, and freelance art & creative director. In his previous career as a corporate advertising art director, he worked with national brands including The Home Depot, Hyundai, Red Lobster, and 7-11; in his current role, he focuses on local and regional clients including universities, museums, and music, food, arts, and wine festivals. He lives, hikes, draws, and watches nature documentaries in the North Carolina Mountains with his wife, daughters, and dog Max (named for a certain famous picture book character). He has not yet been to Antarctica.
"Sturgell depicts his animal travelers with some naturalism, adding the occasional playful detail and, once they realize what Antarctica is like, comically dismayed expressions." — Booklist
"[D]ebut creator Sturgell has a savvy sense of visual pacing, and the meta-comic repartee is spot-on." — Publishers Weekly
"If you have young readers who are desperate to know what kind of animals can survive at the southern tip of the Earth, this is the book for them...a good read aloud option for kids between 4-8." — Susan Harari, Youth Services Book Review
"Snarky dialogue and the hapless narrator’s growing frustration add lots of humor to the engaging story...[a] well-executed and entertaining book." — Horn Book