Everyone loves turtles. And no wonder: long-lived, unhurried, and ancient, these shelled reptiles are fascinating. Join Hancock’s own turtle team, author Sy Montgomery and illustrator Matt Patterson, for a special evening celebrating their newest picture book, The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle — and to hear the inspiring real-life story of Fire Chief, a giant snapping turtle who they both had a hand in rescuing.

Kirkus Review says, “In the annals of true animal rescue tales, this one delights and uplifts.” In their starred review, Publisher’s Weekly writes, “Montgomery and Patterson astonish with this fact-driven turtle tribute. Realistic, almost photographic, acrylic paintings capture diverse turtle species. Every page is an authoritative delight in this conservation-minded ode poised to turn anyone into a turtle lover.”

7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Harris Center. Space is limited, and registration is required. For more information, including questions about accessibility, contact Susie Spikol.

Co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Conservation Education, the Toadstool Bookshop, and the Hancock Library.

About Sy Montgomery

Researching articles, films, and her 38 books for adults and children, nationally bestselling author Sy Montgomery has been chased by an angry silverback gorilla in Rwanda, hunted by a tiger in India, and swum with piranhas, electric eels and pink dolphins in the Amazon. Her work has taken her from the cloud forest of Papua New Guinea (for a book on tree kangaroos) to the Altai Mountains of the Gobi (for another on snow leopards.) For The Soul of an Octopus (a National Book Award finalist) she befriended octopuses at the New England aquarium and scuba dived and snorkeled with wild octopuses in Mexico and French Polynesia. For her national bestseller for adults, Of Time and Turtles, she befriended a 42-pound wild snapping turtle named Fire Chief, who shows his extraordinary trust by allowing her to feed him by hand. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, the writer Howard Mansfield, and their border collie Thurber.

About Matt Patterson

Born in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, Matt Patterson has been bitten by snapping turtles and caught alligators with his bare hands from a kayak. He’s traveled to Central America, and surveyed turtles in the rainforest of Belize. He’s camped in the Everglades and been all across the US visiting 48 states. He received a degree from the Art Institute of Boston in illustration. His vivid, lifelike art has won national and international acclaim, including the Golden Turtle Award and — twice — the Roger Tory Peterson Wild America Art Award. His work has hung in prestigious galleries, museums, and shows, including the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s Birds in Art exhibition, and he is a fellow at the Explorers Club in New York. Matt’s debut picture book, The Book of Turtles, was a Sibert Honor Book.