Book Art Project: 'Clay' Box Turtle

"Mossy" by Jan Brett is a wonderful book about a little girl named Tori and her scientist aunt Dr. Carolina who find a box turtle with a carapace covered in a beautiful mossy garden. They bring her to Dr. Carolina's natural history museum for an exhibit, but soon realize she belongs in nature and misses her new friend Scoot, the dashing ruby-eyed male turtle with whom she has only recently become acquainted. I find it so charming and whimsical that this turtle is carrying a whole habitat on her back. She's like a little earth Goddess.

Today, my friend Jenny and I are helping the kids in the library to make their own Mossy turtles. Miss Jenny made dough for the kids and Raven & I collected moss, lichen and flowers. The moss is drying at 170 degrees F, so that it will not become moldy when the kids bring their turtles home. The flowers will wilt, but the moss will carry on.