A hermit crab who has outgrown his shell searches for a new one among the creatures of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Includes a key which identifies the coral reef animals in the illustrations.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A brilliantly illustrated coral reef teeming with clownfish, spiny lobsters and sea slugs dominates this fictional account of a small hermit crab in search of a larger shell. In fact, Ward's (The Animal's Christmas Carol) paintings are so dazzling that the anthropomorphic story pales a bit in comparison. The tale opens lyrically: "In the watery gardens, where sea anemones flowered and fish as bright as butterflies sailed among the coral, there lived a hermit crab!" But the tone is not sustained, and the text is sometimes confusing (for example, the crab laments, "I need a shell... with some of these," but it's very difficult to tell what he is referring to). Some design features can be disconcerting (words are seemingly randomly emphasized with a large font), but the final sumptuous illustration that opens to a four-page panorama is appropriately impressive. The nine-page appendix describes the Great Barrier Reef setting and contains a numbered, smaller version of each painting that links detailed information about the habits and interdependency of the organisms found in coral reefs to many different fish and plants that populate the underwater scenes. Ages 5-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 1--As in Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab (Picture Book Studio, 1991), a very small hermit crab (who "had been smaller") is forced to move from the shell he loves because it is getting tight. Radiant, full-spread illustrations in pen-and-ink with jewel-toned watercolor-and-gouache washes illuminate a rather mundane tale set on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia. Oddly chosen words are inexplicably set in boldface, making for slightly choppy reading. A gatefold center spread signals a happy resolution to the tale: the crustacean can inhabit the shell of a bigger hermit crab that is also moving into a larger abode. A detailed key follows in which each creature in the story is identified by common and scientific Latin name with a brief description of points of interest in the species. This key, a history of reefs worldwide, and an appeal for reef conservation are in much smaller print and on a higher reading level. This book could be an auxiliary volume in a collection about habitats and/or ecology, but Carle's story wins out.
Dona Ratterree, The Parkside School, New York City
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very highly recommended story of problem-solving & change.,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Old Shell, New Shell: A Coral (Library Binding)
Hermit crab loves his shell but he's outgrown it - he sets out to seek a replacement but finds only another crab with the same problem. Very simple text and large color illustrations of coral reef life accompany a story of problem-solving and change.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful,
By kellyb "Kelly" (Raleigh, NC United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Old Shell, New Shell: Coral (Hardcover)
This is a favorite in our house- a favorite of our children and of us who read it to them. It's just beautfully illustrated and is a wonderful story of happenstance. The illustrated key in the back is great- gives the names and details of all the sea life in the book page by page. My 27 month old knows what a coral grouper is and a pajama wrasse and can't wait until the end to learn more names! Get it, keep it and read it for years and years.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome illustrations,
By
This review is from: Old Shell, New Shell: Coral (Hardcover)
I love when authors illustrate their own books. Helen Ward's illustrations are top-notch (there is a notation in the back giving the names of all the plants and animals in the illustrations). Great information on coral reefs, too.
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