Product Description

The tiny hermit crab loves his new shell. He doesn't want to share it -- not with a blobby purple anenome and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks, and soon he finds he needs his new housemates in this rollicking story of sea, shells and friendship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3465 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

About the Author
Julia Donaldson is the UK's most successful picture book author, whose titles include the acknowledged modern classic, The Gruffalo, together with Room On The Broom, The Smartest Giant In Town and The Snail And The Whale, all illustrated by Axel Scheffler. This is her first picture book with Lydia Monks. Julia is also much in demand for her brilliant events for children at schools, libraries and literary festivals. Lydia Monks is one of the UK's most original picture book artists, whose brilliantly coloured collage images have given her a strong following. Her previous books for Macmillan include Esmerelda by Karen Wallace, and Queen Munch And Queen Nibble and The Skipping-Rope Snake, both by Carol Ann Duffy.

Customer Reviews

Great rhythm and rhyme teamed with luscious illustrations
A simple but effective tale of sharing with great rhythm and rhyme. There's a hermit crab, a bristle worm and an anenome that all share a shell which they then outgrow and there's a stormy patch before they share again in a beautiful new shell.
The illustrations are soft yet bright and enriched by feely glittery patches - they're prettier than the Axel Scheffer ones of the Gruffalo etc. Also, my children love to spot the next addition to the trio and the new shell etc. tiny in the pages ahead before the text reaches them.
This book has the usual Julia Donaldson flair, and the added bonus of being attractive to younger children than some of her other titles - its suitable from 18 months I'd say and my son loved to join in as soon as he could talk.
A pleasure to read over and over again.

Whelkome home
Very sparkly, glittering illustrations illuminate an essentially moral story of what can happen if you take things for granted and are not prepared to share. The sea-side theme acts as a back-drop for some interesting and unusual 'characters' and are colourful in many senses. I particularly liked the sea-gulls in headscarves during a storm scene and the strangely rectangular dog tucked away in the background.
Good to read and fun to look at with some subtle plays on words which the adult reader will probably appreciate more than its intended audience!

Great to share over and over again.
This is my two year old's favourite book - and he LOVES books. I actually look forward to reading with him every night, he joins in now and finishes off the lines. Julia Donaldson's rhyming narrative is fun, clever and flows beautifuuly, making it a joy to read. Lydia Monks' illlustrations are bright and beautiful with the added the bonus of glitter!!! We go on an exciting adventure with Crab, Blob and Brush every bedtime AND learn that sharing is best at the same time. Roll on 'Sharing a Shell 2: The Blob is Back!'