A house for Hermit Crab

Ages 4-6. Hermit Crab keeps outgrowing his shell, and each time it is traumatic for him to find a new home. His new dwelling is very plain, so he asks some of his more decorative neighbors-the crusty coral, sea anemones, and a flock of starfish-to brighten his shell. But soon that also becomes too small. How can Hermit Crab bear to leave his home and companions? In a sweet ending, he finds a smaller crab who gratefully accepts his offer of his old home and who promises to take good care of Hermit Crab's friends. For his part, Hermit Crab is onto new shelters and all kinds of decorating ideas-sponges, barnacles, clown fish... The message, that change can be good, is well integrated into the story, allowing youngsters to appreciate this at several levels. Certainly they will enjoy the inventive collages Carle has fashioned to fill up the oversize pages. A master of this type of artwork, the artist brings together all the colors and textures of the sea. He bases his fable on the habits of hermit crabs and at the book's conclusion provides descriptions of the creatures mentioned in the story. IC. Hermit crabs-Fiction / Crabs-Fiction / Marine animals-Fiction / Dwellings-Fiction [CIP] 87-29261

"Hermit Crab moves out of his small shell on the sea floor, in search of a new residence. The pictures are occasionally quite abstract, but always engaging," said PW. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-Gr 2-Hermit Crab must find a new shell as he has outgrown his other. But the new shell is so plain! Hermit Crab is constantly on the lookout for new possibilities to help dress up his new shell, from a small sea anemone to starfish, coral, and more. Hermit Crab covers his shell with color and makes friends along the way in this well-loved classic. When he finally outgrows his shell once again, Hermit Crab is careful to be sure his friends are cared for and looks forward to meeting new acquaintances. Narrator Will Damron does a nice job bringing this tale to life. His pacing is spot-on, giving young readers the time to enjoy Carle's excellent illustrations without being too sluggish. This read-along presentation includes three tracks-one signals the page turns, a second is a straight reading, and the third presents the definitions from the back of the book. VERDICT Past fans of the story will enjoy exploring it in a new way, and new readers will be drawn into the delightful adventures of Hermit Crab. ["A good solid picture book with many story hour and bibliotherapy possibilities": SLJ 6/88 review of the Picture Book Studio book.]-Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Month by month, a hermit crab gathers other sea creatures (anemone, starfish, coral, etc.) to decorate his shell home; as the year ends, it is comfortably familiar and suits him perfectly--but (as often happens with human habitations in young readers' experience) has become too small. Rueful but undaunted, he gives it to a smaller crab and chooses a larger shell, ""plain"" but just right for a new cycle of additions. Though anthropomorphized in the text, Hermit Crab's behavior (if not the number of his legs) is authentic to the species, and Carle even includes some brief explanatory notes about him and a half-dozen of the other creatures he encounters. His illustrations are outstanding: richly textured, bright areas of deep color are crisply cut to form bold shapes deployed against stark white. The style will be familiar to Carle's admirers, but has been used to particularly good advantage here; the portrayal of the undersea world is in no sense realistic, but the illustrations convey the beauty and magic of that world. Fine for picture book hour or private sharing. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Hermit Crab moves out of his small shell on the sea floor, in search of a new residence. When he finds a bigger place, a sea anemone offers to move in with him; a starfish agrees to decorate the joint. A snail and a sea urchin are employed for cleaning and protection, a lantern fish for lighting and smooth pebbles are used for a wall. Hermit lives happily for a while, until it is time to move again, to a still larger place. Carle's underwater neighborhood is snug, dynamic and full of possibilities. Droplets of color enrich the sea bottom and blades of seaweed are superimposed on the bright white background, in pictures that are occasionally quite abstract, but always engaging. All ages. (March) Copyright 1988 Cahners Business Information.

Just right for a board book, Eric Carle's A House for Hermit Crab takes his tale of a crustacean in search of a new shell home to youngest readers. PW wrote, "Carle's underwater neighborhood is snug, dynamic and full of possibilities." Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

"Hermit Crab moves out of his small shell on the sea floor, in search of a new residence. The pictures are occasionally quite abstract, but always engaging," said PW. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

PreS-Gr 2 Hermit Crab, having outgrown his old shell, sets out to find a new one. He's a bit frightened at first, but over the course of the next year acquires not only a shell, but also an array of sea creatures to decorate, clean, and protect his new home. The story ends with him once again outgrowing his shell. He finds a new ``tenant'' to look after his friends and sets off on a new adventurea big empty shell with ``so many possibilities.'' This simply-told fable is replete with gentle messages about growing, moving on, accepting new challenges, interdependence, and building self-confidence. It is beautifully illustrated and designed in bold, full-color, distinctively Carle collages. Carle includes a little factual information about the various sea creatures mentioned in the story at the end of the book. A good solid picture book with many story hour and bibliotherapy possibilities. Luann Toth, Summit Free Public Library, N.J. Copyright 1988 Cahners Business Information.