Gert the SEE Turtle

Join Gert, a curious little sea turtle, as she explores the beaches and ocean life of the South Carolina coast. Through colorful adventures and lovable characters, Gert introduces young readers to early learning concepts like counting, colors, and emotions while fostering curiosity about the natural world.

Explore the books Meet the author

S Science

E Education

E Exploration

The three Gert the SEE Turtle books together on a sunny beach: Counting, Colors Colors Everywhere, and Emotions at the Ocean

The Complete Gert Collection

Three seaside learning adventures

Follow Gert from numbers to colors to feelings through three illustrated coastal stories written and illustrated by Maxine Moody Poston.

All three titles are now on Google Books

Explore all three books Start with Counting ↗

This website provides selected sample pages only. Full digital editions are distributed through authorized book platforms.

2014 Award Finalist 8th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards — Picture Books - Preschool Gert the SEE Turtle in: Counting by Maxine Moody Poston Visit the award organization 2014 Honorable Mention Purple Dragonfly Book Awards — Picture Books 5 & Younger Gert the SEE Turtle in: Counting by Maxine Moody Poston View the official winners list 2015 Award Winner 9th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards — Picture Books - Preschool Gert the SEE Turtle In: Colors, Colors, Everywhere by Maxine Moody Poston Visit the award organization 2015 Honorable Mention Royal Dragonfly Book Awards — Children's Picture Books 5 & Younger Gert the SEE Turtle In: Colors, Colors, Everywhere by Maxine Moody Poston View the official winners list 2026 Award Finalist 20th Annual National Indie Excellence® Awards — Children's Fiction Ages 3-8 Gert the SEE Turtle In: Emotions at the Ocean by Maxine Moody Poston View the official finalist listing 2026 Honorable Mention Purple Dragonfly Book Awards — Picture Books 5 & Younger Gert the SEE Turtle In: Emotions at the Ocean by Maxine Moody Poston View the official winners list

Explore the Series

Featured Books

Each Gert adventure introduces an early learning concept through coastal scenes, gentle humor, and the original picture-book artwork children remember.

Counting Adventure

Gert the SEE Turtle in:
Counting

Children learn numbers through playful seaside discoveries as Gert encounters dancing crabs, racing sea horses, leaping dolphins, and other ocean friends. Each page introduces counting in a fun and memorable way that builds early math confidence.

Explore this book →Google Books ↗

Color Discovery

Gert the SEE Turtle in:
Colors, Colors, Everywhere

Bright coastal scenes help young readers learn colors. From blue beach buckets on the sand to a bright orange setting sun, children discover the beauty and colors of the seaside along with Gert.

Explore this book →Google Books ↗

Emotional Learning

Gert the SEE Turtle in:
Emotions at the Ocean

Gert experiences emotions like happiness, fear, gratefulness, and forgiveness while exploring all around the beach. This gentle story helps children understand emotional awareness and develop empathy.

Explore this book →Google Books ↗

Meet Gert

A little turtle with a big love of learning

Gert is a curious young loggerhead sea turtle who lives along the beautiful South Carolina coast. While her siblings swim out into the deep ocean, Gert decides to stay by the sea to explore the amazing world around her.

With her “pearls of wisdom” necklace from her mother and her conch shell sailboat, Gert sets out on adventures along the beach where she learns counting, colors, and emotions.

SEE stands for

SScience

EEducation

EExploration

Through Gert’s adventures, children are encouraged to ask questions, discover nature, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Written & Illustrated By

Maxine Moody Poston

About the Author

Maxine Moody Poston is the author and illustrator of the Gert the SEE Turtle series. Inspired by the natural beauty of the South Carolina coast and a love and respect for sea turtles, she created Gert to encourage children to enjoy observing and learning about their world every day.

Her stories celebrate marine life, coastal environments, and the joy of discovery.

SEE Turtle Publishing

SEE Turtle Publishing is the publishing imprint behind the Gert the SEE Turtle series by Maxine Moody Poston, bringing Gert’s original coastal learning adventures to new generations of readers.

About SEE Turtle Publishing