A family are lost at sea after a great storm, until they wash ashore an island. It just so happens that this island is the top of a gigantic turtle, which snoozes beneath the waves. Do the family know this? Or are they simply glad to be safe? The visual narrative follows the father and daughter through the seasons as they cohabit on the island space, while beneath the surface of the water readers can understand a broader narrative of sea-life, and human reliance on coastal and island environments. Just as the island gets cosy, a huge ship arrives full of other people, ready to save the father and daughter from their isolation. As the family are helped up a rope ladder to the deck of the ship, the daughter throws herself down into the water. On the next page, it becomes clear why: to thank the turtle for providing a place of shelter while her and her father waited for rescue in a situation of duress. This beautiful and evocative picturebook provides a vibrant way to consider home, cooperation, and cohesion between humans and nature.
