A House for Hermit Crab

Interest Level: K - 2

Grade Level Equivalent: 3.2

Lexile Framework: 480L

DRA: 24

Guided Reading: K

Genre/Theme:

• Animal Stories

Topics:

• Changes and New Experiences
• Friends and Friendship
• Habitats and Ecosystems
• Marine Life

About This Book

Free Teaching Resources: A House for Hermit Crab Lesson Plan

Children struggling with change — outgrowing clothes, for example, or moving to a new school or town — will find reassurance in this gentle, original fable from Eric Carle, the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other favorite picture books.

Hermit Crab has outgrown his first shell, and, as hermit crabs do, he must look for a new house. Nervous and a little frightened, the crab plucks up his courage and finds a shell that's big enough for him. The only problem is that it's very bare. That's where his fellow undersea creatures come in: a sea anemone offers to decorate the outside, a starfish the inside; an industrious sea snail, a fortress-protecting sea urchin, and an illuminating lantern fish move in as well.

It's a marvelous home indeed, as delighted readers will see in Carle's breathtaking illustrations, which bring each animal to life in brilliant-color collage art. For added value, factual information about the various sea creatures mentioned in the story can be found at the back of the book. The heart of the story, however, lies in its positive message, one which readers of all ages should appreciate: change, however frightening at first, can bring with it wonderful opportunities.