(Ages 4 to 8) - Karin Snelson About the Author:Įric Carle is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of more than seventy books for very young children, including The Tiny Seed, Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me, and his most well-known title, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Instead of bemoaning his fate, he eagerly spots a newer, bigger shell-to him a fresh, blank artist's canvas-and relishes the thought of all the undersea home-improvement possibilities: sponges, barnacles, clown fish, and more! Kids will love Carle's rich, affectionate portrayal of Hermit Crab's ocean odyssey, and the gentle story may help them see that giving up the old for the new is not a loss, but an opportunity. Much to his dismay, just when his dwelling and new family fit him to a T, he finds he's physically outgrown his shell yet again. In time a colorful sea star, some coral, an industrious sea snail, a fortress-protecting sea urchin, and an illuminating lantern fish all join forces with him, making his house a home. When he meets some beautiful, swaying sea anemones, he asks if one of them will come to adorn the outside of his shell. In this soothing, upbeat story, Hermit Crab casts his eyestalks on a newer, bigger shell, but it seems plain and unwelcoming at first. 'I've grown too big for this little shell.' Much-loved master of cut-paper collage Eric Carle created A House for Hermit Crab to comfort any little ones (okay, and adults, too) who dread change-whether the new shell is a new home, a new school, or a new experience. 'Time to move,' said Hermit Crab one day.

A house for hermit crab book