Rose Robbins, Elena’s Shells, Starfish Bay Publishing, April 2019, 36 pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760360573
Elena loves shells…
One day , in the middle of her lunch, a very surprising thing happened. One of her shells ran away!
Little Elena, a cheeky tapir, loves to collect shells. Basket full of her treasures, she trots along the beach searching for new jewels. But what’s this? Someone else seems to have claimed this treasure!
When Elena finds a hermit crab living in HER shell, she is faced with a decision to make and a lesson to learn. There are many lessons here, for early years readers, about sharing, taking and knowing when to give something back.
The illustrations are colourful and engaging for children and will delight even the youngest reader. For preschoolers the opportunity is there to discuss compassion, as Elena learns to be selfless. Being a book about shells and the beach, this also opens up discussion about habitat and animal homes. A lot of potential learning packed into a simple and sweet little story.
Reviewed by Belinda Raposo
