Shell-less Shelby: Shell-less Shelby is a story of a sea turtle named Shelby who cannot find her shell. The story begins with a mother named Sally who lays one egg and then returns back to the ocean to wait for her baby to be born. When helping out a fellow sea turtle named Gus, she realizes that she is missing her shell. Where can she find her shell? She tries on a crab, a clam, a starfish, and many other types of shells with no luck. Each shell that she tries on doesn’t fit for one reason or another. Shelby feels hopeless until her starfish friend guides her back to where she originally lost her shell. Shelby finds her egg and inside is her shell! At the end of the story, Shelby and Gus head out to the ocean to find their mommies.
Shell-less Shelby is a sweet story about friendship, individuality and uniqueness. It is simple and easy for a young child to understand and also gives a lesson on how sea turtles are born. I also enjoyed the description of the illustrator/author, Jessica Kirsenlohr who described herself as a “visual learner” and that this learning method became a way of her communicating ideas and inspiring her to write and illustrate Shell-less Shelby. I think many of us can relate to being a visual learner, including myself.
Carryover Activities:Go online and take a look at different sea turtles and the sea creatures discussed in the book. Print out visuals for the book so you can show your little one a photograph of the different creatures as you read the book. For example, when Shelby meets the starfish, show your child the picture of the starfish. Describe what it looks and feels like. Use real objects when possible (e.g. use a real shell). Read this book before visiting the aquarium!
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