The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab

by Janice S.C. Petrie

The Bumpy, Lumpy Horseshoe Crab is a story set in Duxbury, MA about a sleek little horseshoe crab who learns how taking critters and creatures for a ride could save his life. This picture book has a whimsical, rhyming style, and portrays horseshoe crabs exhibiting behaviors that they commonly use in real life. It is the perfect choice for a family read aloud for children 2-8 years old. It also is a great tool for teachers who are studying marine life, tidepools, or coastal sea animals, and is an invaluable resource for language arts teachers. The fun, colorful, simply drawn illustrations are expressive, and bring each sea creature to life. Although two horseshoe crabs are the central characters, periwinkles, limpets, barnacles, and green and jonah crabs are also portrayed in the story. At the end of the story, there are pages containing information about horseshoe crabs and other sea animals that appear in the story.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2011

About the author

Petrie has been enchanted by the sea for as long as she can remember. She became a certified SCUBA diver while in high school, and spent many years exploring coastal waters. Her fascination with marine invertebrates grew while working for the New England Aquarium as an Outreach Specialist. Since then, she’s spent years caring for these fascinating sea animals, and teaching children and adults about the habitats and sea life commonly found near the shore. The material covered in her children's stories are topics commonly taught by Petrie in her popular sea animal programs. Petrie has experience in all facets of the sea, having spent several years as the assistant plant manager of a large, Gloucester/Boston seafood company.

In her free time, Petrie made many trips to the Ossipee, New Hampshire area to visit with the Ossipee Historical Society, the Carroll County Courthouse, and the Concord State Library, trying to piece together the events of 1916 that kept everyone mesmerized while the tragic story was unfolding, yet was seldom mentioned years later. She gained interest in this story after learning the cottage she spent a single night vacationing in as a baby, seemed to be occupied by an unsettling presence.

As a certified teacher, grades K-8, and a Reading Specialist, all ages, Petrie has earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in the field of education, with a concentration in reading. Petrie also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art, with a graphic design concentration. Petrie has been traveling throughout the United States, reading her books and teaching children and adults about the sea animals she's spent her life getting to know.