Customer Reviews

The Crab Man

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
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If you've every seen the brightly-painted crabs for sale in the pet stores, this heartfelt story will give you a whole new perspective. Neville faces a difficult decision when he learns what becomes of the hermit crabs he has been collecting for the Crab Man. The boy forgoes his goal of buying his mother a new dress with his earnings, and instead decides to rescue his crab friends from inhumane treatment. The story is beautifully told by Van West, who depicts Neville and his island home with rich detail.

The Crab Man provides a fascinating glimpse at Jamaican life through a child's eyes. Beyond that, it tells a compelling story that children all over the world can understand. As little Neville struggles with a tough decision, readers (and listeners!) have a chance to examine their own values and feelings about the earth's creatures. The writing is graceful and clear; the illustrations bring the story's rich setting to life. It's a perfect book to read aloud, but older children will also enjoy making their way through the pages alone.

I was planning a trip to Jamaica this fall and needed some books to take along. I was looking for something my 3 year old would enjoy, as well as learn something about the island. What we found was The Crab Man--an exceptional story about a young boy's realization that money isn't everything, even when being spent on good intentions. This story has humor, a realistic storyline and a will appeal to animal lovers worldwide. My son not only enjoyed the book, but when we arrived in Jamaica he wanted to find the crab man and set free those "poor little crabs!"

This is a wonderful story of how Neville gives up his dream of giving his mother a gift of a new dress to save the life of the helpless crabs that are being exploited to the death by ruthless tourists. The book contains the beautifully drawn illustrations of the wonderful artist Cedric Lucus.

Van West deftly weaves a young boy's struggle to make a difficult decision with vivid descriptions of Jamaican life in this heartwarming tale. The Crab Man is the perfect book for any child who has struggled to do the right thing and helps children understand that all life is precious, no matter how small.

Even though he stands to lose precious income, a young Jamaican boy trusts his feelings of empathy for the helpless crabs who are forced to race at a big resort and takes action. No heavy-handed preaching, just a gentle morality tale where the child is the hero. A lovely book.

The Crab Man touches the intense feeling children have toward fairness and love of animals. When the life of these crabs are threatened, our hero saves them. A comfortable read. The message comes through loud and clear, we can each do a little, and everyone is important. Two thumbs up!

Once upon time children stories taught morals. The Crab Man not only teaches values, but entertains. Moreover, the reader gets transported to Jamaica to learn about The Crab Man. In the book Neville works to save money to buy his mother a new dress. Yet, he learns that some things are more important- The Crabs.

The Crab Man is a wonderful children's' book about a young Jamaican boy's dilemma and how he resolves it. Neville has been selling hermit crabs to the crab man to earn money for a new dress for his mother. One day he learns what the crab man does with the crabs and about the consequences of people's actions and feelings.
Ms. Van West skillfully weaves many themes into this tale-familial love, the fragile web of life, economic survival, and societal contrasts. The Crab Man is an excellent choice for the bookshelf, a tale that a child can relate to.

The Crab Man is an excellent children's book, focusing on a child's experience in learning that even the lowliest of animals have feelings, too. The author (Pat Van West) chooses the crab, a lower animal species, rather than the more common children's pets (dogs, cats, bunnies) portrayed in children's literature. This should help to expand a child's awareness of the general concept of mistreatment and instill in the child the desire to "do the right thing" for any living creature despite its size. Also brought into play is a child's assertion of independence. Neville could have gone with the flow, continuing to sell the crabs and making money. Instead, Neville's newly discovered awareness of animal rights lead him to choose the safety of small creatures over monetary gain -- a good reminder for people of all ages. As an adult, I enjoyed the book every bit as much as my 6-year old nephew.