Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together

by Andrea Tsurumi

Overview

Kirkus Best Book / Publishers Weekly Best Book
★ "Readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world."–Kirkus, STARRED review

★ " [A] wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together."–Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

Crab follows his heart in the wake of a disaster and discovers that everyone’ talents have value when applied with generosity. Feed your craving for a hilarious, heart-warming story with Crab Cake. Humorous, intricate illustrations are perfect to engage readers aged 3-7 while teaching gentle lessons of civic engagement and rallying together as a community.

Under the sea, fish do what fish do: Seahorse hides, Pufferfish puffs up, Parrotfish crunches coral, and Crab . . . bakes cakes?
     Scallop swims, Dolphin blows bubbles, and . . . Crab bakes cakes.
     And so life goes on, until one night when everything changes with a splash!
     In the face of total disaster, can Crab's small, brave act help the community come together and carry on?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544959002
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	413,630
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Andrea Tsurumi is the author of the acclaimed Accident!. An illustrator and cartoonist born and raised in New York, Andrea has a passion for history, an MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and a Society of Illustrators Silver Medal. She now lives and draws in Philadelphia alongside her husband and their dog, Spatula. Visit her at andreatsurumi.com, on Twitter @AndreaTsurumi, and on Instagram @atsurumi.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/22/2018
Life under the teal Tsurumi sea is abundant, busy, and seems pretty much by the textbook: “Spiny Lobster looks for a new home. Parrotfish crunches coral and poops sand... Lionfish does whatever she pleases.” But one serious outlier, Crab, bakes cakes, cupcakes, and more—frosted peach and green confections studded with shells and seaweed. Crab’s fellow inhabitants both indulge in the treats and find the baking behavior a little perplexing. In one drawing, Tsurumi shows the classic ocean food chain, with Crab proffering a cupcake to the last and smallest fish. Then, one night, a literal boatload of junk crashes into the ocean; the once-limpid water turns dark, and everyone is at a loss (“Dolphin freezes. Manta Ray freezes. Even Lionfish freezes”)—except Crab, who determinedly bakes a cake. This act of defiance and resilience coaxes the shocked schools out of hiding to nosh, comfort one another, and find a solution. Fans of Accident! will be happy that Tsurumi’s mastery of detail, humor, and clear-eyed empathy continues in this wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together. Ages 4–7. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

A Best Book of 2019 from: Kirkus * Publishers Weekly * New York Public Library "The eco-friendly lesson goes down easy."—New York Times Book Review "Readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world. A kid-friendly yet profound confection."–Kirkus, STARRED review "Fans of Accident! will be happy that Tsurumi’s mastery of detail, humor, and clear-eyed empathy continues in this wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together."–Publishers Weekly, STARRED review "While entertaining, as evidenced by the playful title which recalls appetizers at a seafood restaurant, it is withserious intent and empathy that these comical comics (graphite on vellum with digital coloring) successfully communicate a theme of community and environmentalism."–Booklist "A sweet and hopeful tale—highly recommended for one-on-one and small group sharing."–School Library Journal —

From the Publisher

Winter 2018

K-Gr 2—Under the sea, the animals all have their part to play. The tangs swim in schools, the scallop flips in a loop-de-loop, and the crab…bakes cakes. Tsurumi gracefully switches between pseudo-nonfiction snapshots of undersea life and a ridiculous tale about a crab baking for its friends. The two threads come together toward the middle of the book, when a large amount of trash is dumped into their ocean. Shocked and scared, the other fish turn to Crab, who feeds them and orchestrates a cleanup movement. This is not only a simple tale about the healing power of baking, but also about the importance of clean oceans—links in the back to NASA Climate Kids and other sites help reiterate that important point. As in her debut, Accident!, it's Tsurumi's illustrations that win the day. Her attention to detail and ability to create rich textures through shading and colors truly bring the animals to life. And the cartoon style makes the piece fun and lighthearted before shifting gears to show the animals fearfully looking at the blackened garbage that has infested their home. VERDICT A sweet and hopeful tale—highly recommended for one-on-one and small group sharing.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

★ 2018-09-17

Sea creatures fortified by pastries work together to clean up their home.

"Under the sea, where sunlight touches sand," aquatic animals live mostly in peace. "Scallop does loop-de-loops," "Octopus hides in a coconut," "The venomous Lionfish does whatever she pleases," and "Crab bakes cakes." Each full-page spread is a delight of detail, with adorable, expressive creatures that kids can pore over at length. The bright colors suddenly darken, though, when "one night, there's a BIG SPLASH!" and a barge dumps a load of trash into their habitat. The animals freeze, horrified, but Crab gathers its fortitude and bakes yet another cake. The sea creatures collect as a community, eating and discussing what to do next, and they come up with a plan to send the trash back to the humans. Each animal does what it can to help (each with its own distinctive, vigorous verb), and soon life under the sea is back to normal. The tone shifts dramatically in this surprising story, from light and fun to serious and upsetting, gently but clearly showing children how everyone has unique skills and interests that they can use in support of community or a common goal. Just baking a cake might seem frivolous, but readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world.

A kid-friendly yet profound confection. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews