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THE HERMIT CRAB by Carter Goodrich

THE HERMIT CRAB

by Carter Goodrich and illustrated by Carter Goodrich

Pub Date: June 2nd, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4169-3892-7
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

“The hermit crab in this story didn’t set out to be a hero.” So begins this appealing dive into the undersea world, created by a character designer for Finding Nemo. When the unassuming hermit crab spies “the most beautiful shell he’d ever seen,” the top half of a brawny purple action figure, he decides to move in. With this amusing transformation, it follows that his fellow sea creatures don’t recognize the mysterious purple hero who bravely lifts a heavy trap off the sea floor to save a hapless, pinned flounder. (The hermit crab doesn’t even know the fish is imperiled—he’s just hungry and the bait smells good.) Fleeing the crowd’s adoration, the timid crustacean shucks the Herculean torso, leaving his peers to worship an empty purple husk. There are no inner transformations or sly lessons here, just the quietly funny story of a shy hermit crab who stays exactly that. Cinematic, full-bleed spreads of the sea floor in soft-hued colored pencil and watercolor effectively convey the perspective of a small creature in a big world. (Picture book. 6-8)