Bubby’s Puddle Pond: A Tortuga’s Tale of the Desert is a an adorable book for all future veterinarians and zoologists. It showcases Bubby, a desert tortoise, who lives in a controlled habitat with a loving caretaker. Over the years, Bubby makes friends who play together in his puddle pond and who care greatly for one another. Niña Story Books, LLC | Illustrated by Nathaniel Jensen | October, 2017 | Paperback | 36 pp
Bubby is described a a newly adopted desert tortoise and “native of the Sonoran Desert”. He loves his new habitat because of the puddle pond and he immediately makes friends such as Katie the cactus wren, and Cotton the bunny who was found curled up in his burrow. When the weather starts to cool down, Bubby begins his first hibernation in a specially made hibernation box meant for young tortoises as an added layer of protection.
Bubby’s Puddle Pond by Carol Hageman | Illustrations by Nathaniel Jensen
When Bubby wakes up, he finds new friends to play with, along with his old, and the cycle continues until Bubby is finally strong enough to hibernate in his own burrow. After many seasons of friendship, his numerous friends display compassion and worry when Bubby goes missing.
Bubby’s Puddle Pond surrounds a pleasant story with factual information on this type of habitat, the flora and fauna found in the region, and on the desert tortoise. Zoological vocabulary words are highlighted to stand out such as: burrow, hibernation, and mesquite tree. At the end, the author provides a few pages of information such as a biological overview, adoption information for the desert tortoise, a glossary of vocabulary words, and a curriculum guide.
Bubby’s Puddle Pond would be a wonderful addition for every school library and should be considered for K-2 school projects on tortoises or the animal kingdom in general.
Bubby’s Puddle Pond: A Tortuga’s Tale of the Desert
by Carol Hageman
