The Shell-spotter’s Guide

by Dr Helen Scales

Every shell has a story to tell. Discover the secrets of these treasures of the sea Looking for seashells and learning their names is the perfect way to explore Britain’s coastline at leisure. It’s a nostalgic simple pleasure, and a way to discover some of nature’s most exquisite wonders. From the common cockle to the blue-rayed limpet, The Shell Spotter’s Guide covers the beautiful and surprising range of mussels, oysters, periwinkles, scallops, cowries and whelks found on our beaches. This beautifully illustrated book written by marine biologist Helen Scales is the perfect companion for all aspiring shell spotters.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Hardcover

Published June 18, 2024

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The Shell-spotter's Guide, by Helen Scales, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Not living by the water I never realized there were so many beautiful types of shells. This is a good book, for the shell collector in us all.

[Thea | (unapologetic_bibliosmia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big fan and avid member of The National Trust, I was very excited to be invited to review this book on exchange for an arc copy from Netgalley.

The book contains a short introduction to shell spotting, with some key tips, and suggestions for best times to find shells and best-practice suggestions; and then goes into an A-Z of shells. There are a few key facts about each shell including what kind of mollusc or crustacean inhabits them, or what they like to eat, and where they can be found on rocks or in the sea as well as the best places to find them in the UK. These are accompanied with detailed photo-like illustrations of the shells.

Interspersed with the A-Z of shells are some other related topics such as:
Shell clues
Tides
Shell magic
The art of shells
Shell borrowers.

I learned some new interesting facts about molluscs that I didn't know before - such as some shells eat other shells! They pierce the shells of other molluscs and eat them from within! I always assumed molluscs ate algae or plant matter! And that some shells exist on the surface of water!

A good guide to keep handy for visiting the beach, or to try and identify found shells when you get home!

[A.J. Sefton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about nostalgia. Didn't we all, as children, collect shells from the beach? I haven't stopped and my collection is on display in my seaside themed bathroom and I'm very proud of it. There aren't many shells I don't have after about fifty years of collecting.

For Dr. Helen Scales it was the start of a career in marine biology and I'm grateful that she has created this guide with the National Trust. Although I have a superb collection, I don't know most of the names of the shells besides the obvious cockles (and even then, there are several varieties.) But there is no problem in identifying them now.

Following a brief introduction about general collecting, exploring, safety and collecting etiquette, the guide lists an A to Z catalogue of the shells most found on the Britishes shores. It includes a description of the shell and the creature that it was once home to, where to typically find them and a little area to note where and when the reader/hunter found the shell: 'I spotted this shell at...on... and is accompanied by a beautifully detailed colour image by Ella Sienna.

The book also has several features like shell art, recommended guides, a glossary, myths surrounding shells and tides. Clearly laid out, easy to follow with unfussy, layman's language, it is a wonderful book for anyone interested in nature or the seaside. Written by someone who truly loves the sea and all its inhabitants. A fantastic guide, which I heartily recommend.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book for anyone who loves nature or seashells!
I have been collecting shells/beachcombing for over 30 years and loved this well-detailed guide of common seashells you can find on the shore. I downloaded it to my phone so I can use it anytime I am walking the beach!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful resource with gorgeous illustrations, detailed descriptions, and an index is a dream come true for shell collectors, thanks to UK's National Trust.

[Jennifer Mary Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little companion of a book. Highly recommended for the curious. Loved it.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.


I just LOVE shells. I LOVE the beach. I don’t go often. These days the beach is a bit over an hour with bicycle, so I could visit more often, well, if my body agrees, haha. So when I saw this fun book up on Netgalley I just had to get it. Yes, it is all about the Britain coast, but I am sure several of these are also on my side of the sea in the Netherlands.

I had expected this to be a book just showing us various shells and give us some deets on how they look/where to find them the best. Instead I got that PLUS information on what inhabitants were in the shells before they died/got eaten/whatever else happened to them. We learn about bivalves, gastropods, about egg clouds (which sound prettier than it probably is), we learn what they eat, how you can spot them in alive state on the beach and where to find them the best. It was just so interesting to learn all about shells AND their inhabitants. I learned SO many new things about these creatures and the shells that encapsulate them/are their houses. Like, I didn’t know about dog whelks and how the creatures within are predators and will drill a hole into other shells to get food. Or that tube worms are ORANGE! And I would so love to meet a sea hare, and that comes from a girl who doesn’t have the biggest interest in snails. I had so much fun reading this book!

Oh, and I love that we also get short bits between with information about why shells are so loved, mythology bits, talk about tides, and others. It was a really nice addition!

And did I mention the illustrations? No, I didn’t. Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. For real, they are so pretty and I wish I could just print out a few of these illustrations, or get them, because I would love to put them in frames and hang them around the house.

Bonus points to the fact you can also use this book to keep track of what you have spotted as every shell ends with a “I spotted this shell at….. on ……”.

All in all, highly recommend to everyone. This is a gorgeous guide perfect for those often visiting a beach/shell lovers.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pleasant, almost stately, shell-spotting introduction, focusing, as the National Trust obviously would, on British examples. After a guide to considerations such as reading the tide and what footwear is best, we get the main bulk of the book, where we have a page of text and a painted illustrating page for each and every critter. Some of these things we're supposed to be able to hear – and I mean their eating, not by putting the dead shell to our ear and hearing the shushing noise of our pulse and other things rebounding around. Herbivorous or not, these animals have two to four concise paragraphs each, and while it may be the case of it just repeating the information the artwork is giving us, it's not like anything ever felt left out. We get spotting tips, for which coast is best to catch sight of everything on, a glossary, and space for us to write down our first discovery for each and every selected seashell.

I don't know anything about this subject, really, so the book could have left out dozens of key and obvious potential finds without my being any the wiser. But I certainly liked what I did see – the craft in the visuals, the serenity given off by the tinted pages and font choice. They made spotting a beer barrel at the shore something to aspire to – although that was probably always the case, hence the interest in also espying a blunt gaper, a piddock, and the members of the Wentletrap family, before I or someone else uses that term as a cod-Dickensian surname in a cheap 'n' cheerful novel. Cheap 'n' cheerful might describe the free hobby of rock-pooling, but this gives it a touch of class and makes it feel a most worthwhile pastime, so get your waders on and your eye in!

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for every marine lover and those wanting to get more out of their experience on the coastline.

I think there’s something about shells that awakens the child in all of us or awakens that excitement in children scoping the shoreline in search of treasures. It’s the sense of discovery and looking upon something that’s come from another world - they truly are beautiful and the more you know about them, the more that beauty is uncovered. I can’t be the only one who finds it hard not to leave a beach without a few pretty shell momentos?!

I’ve read a few books by Helen Scales before and she has the outstanding ability to make you care (Spirals in time was a brilliant book!). Her enthusiasm becomes your enthusiasm and ever since then, I’ve had a new respect for marine life and shells are a big part of that. This book is the perfect start for getting to know what you might find on your travels and give names to your discoveries.

From what you might expect to see roaming along the beach, correct shell collecting ettiquette, tides and shell art, there’s even sections for you to jot down your own findings and when you saw them to keep a note.

Especially when inciting a passion onto the younger generation, books like these are fab. They’re not just filled with succinct and easy to understand information but also filled with stunning pictures and illustrations - you’re bound to learn something from this book.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shell-spotters Guide by Helen Scales is a great book to have if you love being by the sea and enjoy seeing the seashells. There's something magical about finding shells while out walking on the beach and this book makes the experience even better.

I am lucky to stay 5 minutes from the local beach so I was excited to get this book to learn more about the seashells and who lived in them before they were washed up.

Helen Scale's enthusiasm for the genre really comes though in the book. Its catching as I found my self wanting to learn even more about the sea creatures who have sea shells as their homes.. The book has great illustrations throughout as well. Its easy to read and doesn't baffle you with science.

I would recommend getting a hard copy of the book so you can enjoy writing when and where you spotted the shells. It would be great to add your own pictures to the book and make it like a journal. I have given the book 5 stars but I would have given it more if I could!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Collins Reference for the ARC Copy of the book, This review is my own opinion.

[Jenny H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for beachcombers. This National Trust guide has beautiful illustrations of each shell followed by a full description, including its Latin name. This makes it easier to identify the exact shell you've spotted as well as the generic category it belongs to, eg bivalve. I didn't realise that some of the molluscs are carnivorous! It also has useful sections on shell collecting etiquette and staying safe on the sea-shore. There's also a comprehensive index and space for you to jot down your findings on the beach. A great reference book which is also an enjoyable read. You will never get your blunt gapers and dog whelks muddled up again!

[A L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book to keep in your pocket when spending time by the sea shore.
The author describes shell spotting as a 'simple pleasure' and encourages unto leave some shells for others to find instead of taking them all.
The shells are listed in alphabetical order, each with a description and a delightful illustration. At the end of each description there is a place for the individual to note where and when a specific shell was found.
There are some interesting facts about each shell eg - the common cockle grows slowly in the winter and lives just below the surface of the sand.
An informative and useful book. Would make a great gift.

[Kristina the Book Forager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Helen Scales' writing. I'm not sure how she does it, but I simply ended up smiling while hopping from one page to the next. I appreciated reading about all the wonderful sea shells the British Isles have to offer. It was so nice to finally put a name to some of those I end up picking up when I'm on the beach. This book exudes such a lovely energy, with inviting pictures that make it a joy to read. You won't regret picking this one up. Thank you, NetGalley and Helen, for this lovely invitation to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Rachel N · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful book! The watercolour illustrations alone are gorgeous but the text by Helen Scales is also lovely - very informative and really encourages you to take a closer look at the world around you. I loved the fact this book has space for you to add a little about where and when you found the shell - it would be a beautiful thing to carry with you on a beach walk, a real encouragement to learn more about the natural world and just to take a step back from the chaos of the world and appreciate nature. It's a book that can be enjoyed by adults and it never dumbs things down but it would also be perfect for a child to really learn about the environment in an engaging way.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

#TheShellspottersGuide #NetGalley

[Karen Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only problem with this beautiful book is that it made the children bully me into going to the beach on a freezing February day to look for shells. Maybe I should have kept this back till the warmer weather !
That said, it is a very informative beautiful book and we all loved it. The illustrations just are fabulous even if you know little about shells.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something that I would never have thought I would read, but I was invited by the publisher to read it. I loved it it was so well written but it also interesting as the language was accessible and easy to follow. I didn't grow up in the UK and so I finally learnt what shells people talk about here actually look like - what an eye opener. Really glad that I read this.

[JCS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any shell collectors, this book/journal is beautifully illustrated and gives a detailed description of each shell and explains where it is likely to be found. It begins with a few guidelines for sensible shell collecting and there is a space to record where you have seen a particular shell and when you found it. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol Standish-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book and the illustrations. It was also interesting to have the info on where in the British Isles particular shells may be found. I enjoyed learning about the wide variety of shells that can be found on our shores. It really made me want to go to the seashore and go hunting. I will definitely be sharing the book with my granddaughter.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautiful, and such a good guide for shell spotting on our beach adventures. The illustrations in this National Trust guide were so good to share with my little girl, as she could find the pictures to match the shells she collected.

Really lovely guide for all the family.

[Jamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated book on shells. Makes you want to wander through the rock pools in the sun and warmth looking for shells.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.