Genre
Picture books for children
Illustration
Colorful
Subject
Crabs
Fear
Fear in children
Swimming

Little Crab is excited to leave the tidepool and visit the ocean, but the ocean turns out to be overwhelming. With encouragement from Very Big Crab, Little Crab enters the water...and discovers the wonderful world beneath. When it's time to go home, Very Big Crab handles Little Crab's inevitable reluctance by saying they can take the long way home: "I think you can go anywhere."

A sweet, inspiring, funny tale of a brave Little Crab taking the plunge into a new world.

See also: There Might Be Lobsters, Jabari Jumps ( )

I write this in the midst of a pandemic, as we shelter at home, the library (and almost everything else) being closed. The title of this book sounds just perfect - lots of people are telling kids not to worry right now - but as you go deeper into the story it's much more than just an anti-anxiety book.

Little Crab, a blocky creature in bright oranges and purples, lives with Very Big Crab in a safe little tidal pool. When they decide to visit the ocean, Little Crab is at first excited. They go "Tic-a-tic" over rocks, "splish splash" through pools, and "squelch squelch squelch" through seaweed. But when they get to the ocean... it's a LOT bigger than Little Crab expected. And there are huge waves! Little Crab wavers and suggests going home, but with the firm support of Very Big Crab manages to hang on and finally to explore the ocean floor. In the end, having conquered the waves and their fears, "I think you can go anywhere," says Very Big Crab.

Haughton's blocky, vibrant colors show lots of rich blues, bright oranges, and menacing dark waves with frothy crests. Readers will hold their breath and chant along as Little Crab works through fear to have a new and exciting experience.

Encouraging children to face new and sometimes frightening experiences may sound irrelevant at this time when we're encouraging everyone to stay home, but with a little adult guidance kids may be able to see that new experiences aren't just things you go out and do; they can be, well, things you experience. Kids and their families are facing lots of scary changes right now, from school closings to parents losing jobs, but the warm community of this story and the gentle encouragement of Very Big Crab will encourage them to stand firm. The waves may still break over them, but there's hope of an amazing sea floor beyond.

Verdict: The rhythmic refrain makes this a lovely read-aloud for young children and the storyline a comforting choice for older kids facing many new changes and experiences. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9781536211191; Published April 2020 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher and donated to the library; Used in activity calendars and online storytimes.

Muy adorable! This is a perfect book to tackle in storytime, even if you aren't confident in your Spanish ability. Just provide the emphasis in tone of voice or exaggerated movements ( )

My nephew, 3 years old in January, loves this book! I do, too. I bought a French version while we were on vacation (half souvenir, half new book to occupy us while stuck in a car), so I had to translate back to English on the fly, and may have mixed up some of the lines as a result, but that's okay - my nephew can't read yet, and the story is strong from the pictures.

I love the jewel tones and stained glass qualities of Haughton's illustrations. Little Crab is nervous about going somewhere new - his home in a rockpool and the world above the ocean is filled with blues, greens, and teals. When Little Crab and Very Big Crab go down to the coral reefs under the water, the pages are filled with fuchsia, goldenrod, cerise...just so many bright colors, but very little standard RGB. It's gorgeous and does a great job of showing this new place as different from home.

My nephew enjoyed the pages depicting the trip under the sea, as Little Crab gets closer and closer to the ocean, and the waves approach. SPLASH! they get Little Crab wet until they carry him down. He also loved pages later on where Little Crab makes friends with other creatures under the water - eating algae, swimming like wild, and playing hide-and-seek in the coral.

In the end, of course, Little Crab has had so much fun in this new place that he doesn't want to go home! but Very Big Crab suggests they go the long way and explore more, and Little Crab is excited to go wherever he can. (My nephew decided on his own they are Baby Crab and Dada Crab, but from what I remember, there's no reason they couldn't be siblings or some other relation - that's a nice way to interpret the characters according to your own family structures.)

This is really such a beautiful book with a fun story that I'm going to see out other Haughton books for my nephew! But maybe in English next time. ( )