Herman the Hermit Crab

The rugged, old fisherman named Mr. G loved the beach, the surf, the breezes, and the sunsets and sunrises at Oak Island. What he most loved was to set up his fishing gear and bask in the calm and grace of fishing. He liked to walk along the beach and look for seashells, especially in the “puffs of white foam…stretched out on the sand.”

On one seemingly ordinary day at the beach, Herman the hermit crab splashed, rolled, and tumbled in the waves. Over the course of the day, the waves turned gray and rougher. When Mr. G’s rod suddenly bent over, Herman felt an ominous tug on his shell. As Mr. G tightly grabbed his rod to do battle with what he hoped was a really big fish, Herman’s shell home was tossed to and fro. Finally, the shell came to an abrupt halt on the beach.

Mr. G laughed at the shell and its contents, took off the line and hook, and set Herman upright. Each time Herman flopped upside down again. Finally Herman stayed right side up and headed back toward the ocean. All was right with the world as Herman rejoined his friends and Mr. G baited his hook, fished, and dreamt of a fish dinner.

The book’s soothing, rhyming, lyrical text will have you feeling the ebb and flow of the tides. The tranquility of the beach. The delight of the sunrise. Again. And again.