First edition of A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle. A crab outgrows his shell and moves into a new home that becomes a little ecosystem of mutually beneficial sea creatures.
Written and illustrated by Eric Carle. 1987 first edition. Picture Book Studio. Pages are clean, undamaged, and complete.
"Time to move," said Hermit Crab one day in January. "I've grown too big for this little shell." He had felt safe and snug in his shell. But now it was too snug. Hermit Crab stepped out of the shell and onto the floor of the ocean.
But it was frightening out in the open sea without a shell to hide in. "What if a big fish comes along and attacks me?" he thought. "I must find a new house soon."
Hermit Crab finds a larger nautilus shell to move into. But it's too drab. So the growing crab decorates it with anemones, starfish, and coral, and brings a snail onboard for housekeeping, a spiny sea urchin for security, and a lantern fish for light. He was a happy crab! His fellow sea creatures are like family. But one day a smaller crab wanders by, looking for a replacement for the shell he's outgrown. Hermit Crab is starting to feel a little snug in his, so he gives it to the smaller crab on the condition that he take care of his family, and he sets off to find a new home.
Eric Carle (1929 - ) has designed and illustrated more than 70 books, most famously The Hungary Caterpillar. Carle's pictures are created using hand-painted paper cut into collages, which have often incorporated interactive elements such as die-cut pages, twinkle lights, and sounds. He's received the Children's Literature Legacy Award from the American Library Association and been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen award for lifetime contributions to children's literature.
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Condition*: Near Fine. Missing dust jacket. Illustrated cover boards: Slight sunning along top edges.
*Based on guidelines of the Independent Online Booksellers' Association.
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