Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Goodrich (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">A Creature Was Stirring), who has worked on <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Finding Nemo, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Monsters, Inc. and <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Ratatouille, tells a story that tips its hat not only to the Pixar/Disney tropes of misunderstood, unlikely heroes but also to <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Story of Ferdinand. When the critter (who has reclusiveness running through his DNA) takes up residence in the top half of a discarded, sternly muscular action figure, he becomes the inadvertent rescuer of a flounder that's caught under a lobster trap. Crab isn't driven by an awakened sense of civic virtue, but rather by the tasty smell of the trap's bait. Happy with his lot in life, he chooses anonymity over celebrity, allowing the other sea creatures to believe that the action figure is responsible. With watercolor and pencil, Goodrich beautifully conveys the feeling of sunlight penetrating the blue-green depths, and the goggle-eyed cluelessness of most of the creatures winks at readers without undermining the story. The narration is rather bland and literal, but the visual point of view is so strong and reassuringly familiar that children probably won't notice. Ages 6–10. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(June)

Kirkus Reviews

"The hermit crab in this story didn't set out to be a hero." So begins this appealing dive into the undersea world, created by a character designer for Finding Nemo . When the unassuming hermit crab spies "the most beautiful shell he'd ever seen," the top half of a brawny purple action figure, he decides to move in. With this amusing transformation, it follows that his fellow sea creatures don't recognize the mysterious purple hero who bravely lifts a heavy trap off the sea floor to save a hapless, pinned flounder. (The hermit crab doesn't even know the fish is imperiled—he's just hungry and the bait smells good.) Fleeing the crowd's adoration, the timid crustacean shucks the Herculean torso, leaving his peers to worship an empty purple husk. There are no inner transformations or sly lessons here, just the quietly funny story of a shy hermit crab who stays exactly that. Cinematic, full-bleed spreads of the sea floor in soft-hued colored pencil and watercolor effectively convey the perspective of a small creature in a big world. (Picture book. 6-8)

School Library Journal (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

K-Gr 2 As the marine denizens are settling down to breakfast, a wooden crate falls near them, and the bluefish warns that it might be a trap. Then they realize that the flounder is missing, and the shy hermit crab becomes a hero when he dons the top half of a toy action figure he finds in the water and inadvertently releases the trapped fish. Deliberate pacing advances the impending action, and the affirming conclusion fully completes the offbeat narrative. The personal tone engages the audience, bringing immediacy to the plot, and serves as a warm contrast to the cool illustrations. Goodrich's colored pencil and watercolor spreads predominately feature greens and blues to convey the watery depth of the sea. Animated expressions result in humorous interactions among the varied characters, and the crab's fully realized disguise enhances the development of this slight story. Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

An unassuming hermit crab unwittingly becomes a hero after rescuing Flounder from a fisherman's trap. Unlike Clark Kent, he don't need no stinkin' telephone booth: concealed beneath the top half of a superhero figurine, Hermit Crab is able to maintain his anonymity. Highly expressive seaweed-green-tinged colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations give the undersea denizens great personality.