The Turtle Who Turned the Tide: questions to ask and activities to try
On a midnight beach, the baby turtles race to the sea, but Tula's brother loses his way. Will she keep racing to win, or turn back to help him? From the creators of The Lion Inside.
What age is The Turtle Who Turned the Tide for?
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide is best for ages 3–7.
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide (Rachel Bright and Jim Field)
- Age
- 3-7
- Best for
- Choosing kindness over winning
Only 50pThe Turtle Who Turned the Tide activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Pause at Tula’s big choice and ask what your child would do. Talk about times when helping someone matters more than coming first.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–7 (nursery to Year 2)
- What they'll enjoy
- On a midnight beach, the baby turtles race to the sea, but Tula's brother loses his way. Will she keep racing to win, or turn back to help him? From the creators of The Lion Inside.
- Helps with
- Choosing kindness over winning
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Kindness over competition
- Making brave choices
- Teamwork
- Ocean animals
Comprehension and discussion questions for The Turtle Who Turned the Tide
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “What was the great race on the beach?”
- “What happened to Tula’s brother?”
- “What choice did Tula have to make?”
- “How did the other animals change when they saw what Tula did?”
- “Have you ever helped someone instead of winning?”
- “Why do you think the book is called The Turtle Who Turned the Tide?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for The Turtle Who Turned the Tide
All 6 questions for The Turtle Who Turned the Tide on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
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5-minute activities to try together
Helping race
Have a race where the only way to finish is to help: every runner must carry a soft toy for someone else to the line.
Turtle tracks
Draw a beach and make turtle tracks to the sea with fingerprints. Add the animals who joined in the rescue.
The Turtle Who Turned the Tide activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
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Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to The Turtle Who Turned the Tide, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about kindness over competition.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–7 (nursery to Year 2), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Pause at Tula’s big choice and ask what your child would do. Talk about times when helping someone matters more than coming first.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “What was the great race on the beach?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Helping race. Have a race where the only way to finish is to help: every runner must carry a soft toy for someone else to the line. Children who finish early can try Turtle tracks.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The The Turtle Who Turned the Tide activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
The Lion Inside (Rachel Bright)
- Best for
- A child who feels too small or too quiet to be noticed
- Age
- 4-7
The Koala Who Could (Rachel Bright and Jim Field)
- Best for
- Handling change and unfamiliar situations
- Age
- 3+
The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister)
- Best for
- Sharing, and finding that friends matter more than shiny things
- Age
- 3-6
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By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.