Sheldon's New Shell

by Lily Murray, Sam Caldwell (Illustrator)

Overview

Set to an upbeat seaside rhythm by Lily Murray and brought to life by Sam Caldwell’s vibrant artwork, Sheldon's New Shell is a fun, rhyming picture book that combines a gentle story with real-life ecological issues that affect animals around the world.

Sheldon the hermit crab needs a new home, so it’s time for him to scour the beach and look for the perfect shell. However, the only thing he can find is rubbish! There are plastic bottles and tin cans littered everywhere. It’s a good job he has his fellow beach-side animal friends to help, as well as one little girl who is determined to clean up his environment for good.

Plastic bottles and other rubbish are huge threats to marine life. Sheldon's New Shell is published in partnership with the successful environmental charity, Surfers Against Sewage, which is dedicated to the protection of our oceans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780558301
Publisher:	Michael O'Mara Books
Publication date:	07/30/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Lily Murray is based in the UK and grew up in the wilds of snowy nowhere, spending much of her time talking to animals and making up stories. She has continued to do this in her adult life, and now writes both fiction and non-fiction books for children. Her titles include big books about dinosaurs (Dinosaurium), rhyming books about dinosaurs (The Dinosaur Department Store) and stories about escapee hot dogs (Hello, Hot Dog!).

Follow Lily on Instagram and Twitter @lilymurraybooks.

Editorial Reviews

"An upbeat tale laced with a clear, much-needed message of environmental stewardship." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-03-23
A crab searches for new digs.

Finding beach real estate’s hard, but hermit crab Sheldon’s shell has become very snug, and he must locate a roomier home. He has no time to lose; hungry seagulls are circling overhead. One possibility—a tin can—appears, but it’s noisy and smelly. Sheldon’s sad: A homeless crab is a sunbaked, dried-out crab. Myrtle the turtle escorts him to her beach shop, which is filled with fancy outfits. Sheldon gleefully tries on numerous, ultimately unsuitable styles, then spies a sturdy-looking plastic bottle: It’s perfect! Uh, no. Scuttling inside, Sheldon gets stuck. Myrtle watches helplessly as Sheldon rolls away and lands in a hole. Happily, a young girl named Kaia frees him, then shows him the bucket of shells she’s collected. Sheldon finally selects his perfect new home, and Kaia realizes that the shells belong to the beach, not her. Going forward, she’ll help with beach-cleanup efforts, and she organizes a group of eager kids on the spot. They work hard and clear the beach of human detritus. This lively U.K. import, written in bouncy, present-tense verse, is a loud clarion call to keep beaches free of carelessly strewn human clutter. Sheldon’s full of personality; his plight will arouse children’s empathy and hopefully inspire a “let’s get working” mindset. The colorful, lively cartoon illustrations depict both messy and pristine beach vistas. Kaia is brown-skinned; background figures are diverse.

An upbeat tale laced with a clear, much-needed message of environmental stewardship. (how can you help the environment? note on “Surfers Against Sewage”) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews