ELENA'S SHELLS

A young beachcomber learns about
ownership—and friendship.

Elena is a bright red tapir who
loves collecting shells. Adorning a tall pile of sand on the beach, her
collection resembles a colorful array of Christmas tree ornaments. One day, “right
in the middle of her lunch,” one of her shells runs away. Thinking quickly,
Elena yells, “SHARK!!” and the shell stops dead in its tracks, right on the
edge of the water. When Elena picks up the shell, out plops an orange hermit
crab with enormous eyes. Even after the crab explains that the shell is his
home, Elena turns her back and walks away with it. But back home, she begins to
worry about the crab, “all alone and with no shell to hide in.” Elena rushes
back to the shore to find the crab, who’s been hiding inside a cluster of
rocks, and gives him back his shell, along with a sincere apology. The crab
squeaks out a “Thank you!” and returns to the safety of his shell. Elena still
has a large collection of shells, and now she has friends—a whole slew of
hermit crabs—to share her treasures with. Both Elena’s selfishness and her
later remorse are entirely believable. Robbins’ bright, childlike illustrations
and minimal text match the sweet simplicity of her tale. Both tapir and hermit
crab are adorable.

An important lesson deftly delivered.
(Picture
book. 3-5)