Elena’s Shells

PreS-Gr 1–Elena is an aardvark-like creature who takes great pride in her seashell collection, shown heaped on the beach in a brightly colored mound. When one of the shells makes an unexpected bid for freedom, Elena pursues it with dogged tenacity only to discover that the shell is home to a tiny hermit crab. Though initially unmoved by the hermit crab’s plight, Elena eventually comes to realize that by sharing her collection she can do good in the world and make new friends in the process. Told through short sentences and simple vocabulary, this charming narrative confers valuable lessons about empathy and sharing through the device of Elena’s collection. Elena learns that she enjoys her treasures much more when she sends them out into the world and does good with them. The illustrations use bright colors, with an emphasis on primary colors, as well as simple shapes. Full-page illustrations as well as sequential art delineated by white space provide good context for new readers to decode unfamiliar vocabulary. Elena and the hermit crab both have expressive eyes, conveying a great deal of feeling amid the rudimentary artistic style.