I was thrilled to see a new review of my children’s book, Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab. Thank you so much, Barbara, for the lovely review. I was pleased to hear. that you enjoyed it!
Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab
Barbara Mojica
I MUST, I MUST
September 5, 2025
What a charming picture book based on a true story that teaches valuable life lessons. Clarence Henry is a hermit crab that once lived in the author’s aquarium. He is missing a claw and a leg, so Clarence is aware that the other creatures in his habitat view him differently. That does not keep him from dedication to his duty. Clarence understands that it is his duty to keep the aquarium clean and safe for his fellow inhabitants. Every day, Clarence performs his duty faithfully until one day he grows too large for his shell. Clarence knows it is time for him to molt. After his owners provide a new shell, Clarence begins the process of adjusting to his new home. A pleasant surprise awaits him! Young readers learn about devotion to duty, perseverance, and resilience. They become aware that a disability can be a strength, not a handicap. Charming illustrations enhance the story. A wonderful bonus feature at the end of the tale teaches children about the fascinating lives of hermit crabs. I highly recommend the book to parents and teachers, both as an enchanting tale and an informative lesson about life as a hermit crab.View this book’s reviews on Amazon
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Clarence Henry is different from other hermit crabs. He came to his new home minus one claw and a leg. He needs to protect himself until he can grow new appendages. Will Clarence Henry be able to meet the challenges in his new water world? Clarence Henry was a real aquatic hermit crab who lives in a saltwater fish tank in our home. We watched him interact with the other creatures in the tank. He was resilient, intelligent, and a joy to have as a pet. We took some photos of him as he grew his claw and leg and changed shells. We shared these photos and facts about hermit crabs in the back of the book. I hope you will enjoy them. This book will make a wonderful resource for classrooms.
This book was fun to create especially since Clarence Henry was a real hermit crab and a pet in our fish tank. He did his job, was fascinating to watch in action and was quite a character. It was amazing to see him cast off his old shell and grow a new one while he hid inside his shell. We also got to see his claw and leg grow back. That was something that I will never forget. When we brought him home we did not know at first that he had lost a claw and leg. The appendages actually grew quicker than I expected. The photo on the front of the book shows his right claw is much smaller than the left because it is just beginning to grow.
There are photos in the back of the book showing Clarence Henry in action, going in and out of his shells, and cleaning the tank. He was a memorable and loved pet. We miss him! We have not been able to find another crab his size.
I hope if you haven’t already introduced your kids to Clarence Henry that you will soon. They will love him and enjoy reading about his perservance, determination and tenacity. They will learn important life lessons about never giving up no matter what life throws your way.
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I’m pretty sure Eli has this book because he LOVES crabs!