The Caring Crab

The Caring Crab is a lighthearted children’s book that follows a river crab named Collin, who is a talented builder and someone who always puts his friends’ needs before his own. His latest mission is to construct a pavilion for his house by the end of the week. However, with each passing day, a new surprise activity that requires his undivided attention pops up, he realizes his goal will be challenging to achieve. Collin must learn an important lesson about taking care of himself and putting himself first sometimes so that he can be a better friend to others. Author Tuula Pere and illustrator Roksolana Panchyshyn’s have created an exceptional picture book. The Caring Crab is an excellent example of children’s literature with good pacing, intuitive language, and beautiful illustrations that will keep the young one’s attention. Each page is filled with bright and engaging illustrations that enhance the story being told. This insightful children’s book highlights two important lessons. Written in language and using situations that younger children can comprehend, the story lets them know it is okay to say no to others when you need to dedicate time to yourself, and that healthy friendships are two-way streets that allow both sides to rely on one another. These morals consistently add to the book’s value, which communicates a message for readers to cultivate healthy boundaries and interpersonal relations from a young age. The Caring Crab is an engaging picture book that promotes building good friendships and being a good neighbor and friend. It also talks about self-care and teaching children it is ok to take a break when needed. Teaching these lessons from a young age will help them develop healthy habits as they grow older and having it presented in this entertaining story makes it easy to start the discussion of these topics.