crabs

Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

| Tasha

Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton (9781536211191)

Little Crab lives with Very Big Crab in a small tide pool, but now they are off to the ocean! At first Little Crab is very excited. They journey over rocks, across pools, and through seaweed to get there, each with its own special sound. When they reach the edge of the ocean though, Little Crab is overwhelmed and not sure they should continue. There are big waves that hit them over and over again. Little Crab decides it’s time to head home instead, but Very Big Crab continues to encourage Little Crab to try. Step by step, Little Crab enters the ocean until he’s in it! And what an amazing place it is!

Haughton beautifully shows the fear of the new and the way that experiences can feel very overwhelming for children. The use of wave after wave is what doing something new can feel like. The book also clearly demonstrates the importance of continuing forward and trying something new. You may just love it, like Little Crab does. Gentle and powerful, this picture book shows rather than tells, allowing children to find their own way through fear with the help of a couple new friends.

The illustrations are bold and beautiful. They have dark cliffs near the ocean, battered by turquoise water with bright white foam. The greens of the seaweed, purples of the crabs, pop on the page. Then once the ocean is entered, it’s like discovering colors all over again. Remarkable!

Wave away your worries with this wonderful read. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Candlewick.

 

Review: Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi

| Tasha

Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi

Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi (9780544959002)

Crab loves to bake cakes. He makes them every day as all of the fish and ocean creatures do what they usually do too. Pufferfish puffs, Parrotfish eats coral, Dolphin blows bubbles. But when one night a disaster happens and a load of trash is dumped on their part of the ocean bed, no one knows what to do. Everyone else freezes, just staring at the mess. Crab though doesn’t freeze and makes a big cake for everyone to share. As the animals come together, they form a plan. It’s all thanks to one crab who just kept on doing what he does best.

Tsurumi’s picture book is filled with lots of small touches that bring this underwater world fully to life. The book reads aloud beautifully with quiet moments at first, the loveliness of crab making cakes for everyone, and then the disaster and its aftermath. It is a picture book that celebrates the creation of a community and the power of food to bring everyone together. It is also a book that looks at our oceans, caring for them and a love of the creatures who live there. The illustrations have a great cartoon look and feel to them that works well, creating moments of humor and drama very effectively.

A winning read for storytimes about fish, crabs or the environment. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

 

The Hermit Crab

| Tasha

The Hermit Crab by Carter Goodrich

The hermit crab was very shy and enjoyed being just out of sight rather than part of a group.  So he was an unlikely hero!  One morning a wooden trap descends from above and the fish, crabs and lobster debate about what it is.  The hermit crab was off by himself when it arrived and was unaware of the stir.  As he looked for food, the hermit crab found the most amazing shell!  It had pieces that moved and a torso and a head and a lightning bolt too.  Back with the others, the flounder was caught under the trap, but no one would help him because they could get caught too.  The hermit crab with his new “shell” in place arrived and remembered he was hungry.  He shoved the trap, trying to reach the good smells.  All the others could see though was the head and shoulders of the shell he was wearing.  They cheered.  Suddenly the trap ascended to the top again. Everyone came to congratulate their new hero.  What is a shy crab to do when the spotlight is focused on him?

So often we read books about characters who like to be the center of attention or are bossy, pushy, or vain.  This book offers the other side of the shell, giving readers a lead character who is shy, reserved and quiet.  Even better, the hermit crab doesn’t dream of being the center of attention.  He isn’t constrained by his shyness.  He is just himself. 

Goodrich has written a great character in the hermit crab and surrounded him with a cast of loud, friendly characters to play off of.  The writing here is lovely to read aloud with great phrasing and pacing.  Goodrich’s illustrations are even more successful as they reveal the open vastness of the sea, the varied colors of underwater, and interesting perspectives on scenes.  I particularly enjoy the deep colored emptiness surrounding hermit crab as he looks for food.  Not dangerous, not lonely, just alone.  Lovely.

Appropriate for ages 4-6, this book is a great addition to any story time about the sea.  It could also be nice as a compare/contrast with a louder character-based book.  Children should be able to see themselves in both types of character.