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Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together
Kirkus Best Book / Publishers Weekly Best Book
★ "Readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world."– Kirkus , STARRED review
★ " [A] wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together."– Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
Crab follows his heart in the wake of a disaster and discovers that everyone’ talents have value when applied with generosity. Feed your craving for a hilarious, heart-warming story with Crab Cake. Humorous, intricate illustrations are perfect to engage readers aged 3-7 while teaching gentle lessons of civic engagement and rallying together as a community.
Under the sea, fish do what fish Seahorse hides, Pufferfish puffs up, Parrotfish crunches coral, and Crab . . . bakes cakes?
Scallop swims, Dolphin blows bubbles, and . . . Crab bakes cakes.
And so life goes on, until one night when everything changes with a splash!
In the face of total disaster, can Crab's small, brave act help the community come together and carry on?
★ "Readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world."– Kirkus , STARRED review
★ " [A] wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together."– Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
Crab follows his heart in the wake of a disaster and discovers that everyone’ talents have value when applied with generosity. Feed your craving for a hilarious, heart-warming story with Crab Cake. Humorous, intricate illustrations are perfect to engage readers aged 3-7 while teaching gentle lessons of civic engagement and rallying together as a community.
Under the sea, fish do what fish Seahorse hides, Pufferfish puffs up, Parrotfish crunches coral, and Crab . . . bakes cakes?
Scallop swims, Dolphin blows bubbles, and . . . Crab bakes cakes.
And so life goes on, until one night when everything changes with a splash!
In the face of total disaster, can Crab's small, brave act help the community come together and carry on?
48 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2019
10 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Tsurumi
29 books47 followersAndrea Tsurumi is the author and illustrator of the picture books Accident!, Crab Cake, and I'm On It!(Elephant & Piggie Like Reading!) and the illustrator of books including My Head Has a Bellyache (by Chris Harris), Mr. Watson's Chickens (by Jarrett Dapier), and the Kondo & Kezumi series (by David Goodner).
A gigantic text + image nerd, they studied sequential storytelling for an English BA at Harvard and an illustration MFA at the School of Visual Arts. While working in publishing for several years, they dove into their two big loves: indie comics and children’s books.
They live in Philadelphia, PA.
To see their latest news: andreatsurumi.com or Instagram @atsurumi
A gigantic text + image nerd, they studied sequential storytelling for an English BA at Harvard and an illustration MFA at the School of Visual Arts. While working in publishing for several years, they dove into their two big loves: indie comics and children’s books.
They live in Philadelphia, PA.
To see their latest news: andreatsurumi.com or Instagram @atsurumi
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
May 8, 2019
This story is amusing. Everyone has something they do in the ocean. Crab bakes, its just what crab does. We see all these interesting fish going about life. The artwork here is lovely. I love Andrea’s vision of the sea and all the fun detail put into the picture.
Well, a big boat with junk in it is tossed during a storm and all that junk befowls the ocean these animals are living in. They are covered in grime. They all freeze. What do they do? Well, crab bakes a cake and it brings everyone together. They form a plan and start carrying out the plan. We all loved the ending of the story and the message given. It was very cute and true. It’s too bad that can’t really happen and teach us humans a little lesson.
The nephew loved the animals in the story and the crab that liked to bake. There is a lobster and that was his favorite. The niece also loved the baking crab and she likes to bake too. She loved how it brought everyone together. The nephew gave this 4 stars and the niece gave this 3 stars.
Well, a big boat with junk in it is tossed during a storm and all that junk befowls the ocean these animals are living in. They are covered in grime. They all freeze. What do they do? Well, crab bakes a cake and it brings everyone together. They form a plan and start carrying out the plan. We all loved the ending of the story and the message given. It was very cute and true. It’s too bad that can’t really happen and teach us humans a little lesson.
The nephew loved the animals in the story and the crab that liked to bake. There is a lobster and that was his favorite. The niece also loved the baking crab and she likes to bake too. She loved how it brought everyone together. The nephew gave this 4 stars and the niece gave this 3 stars.
April 24, 2019
These days it’s not uncommon to walk into the children’s room of a bookstore or library and find yourself surrounded by a plethora of picture books that tackle trauma. Once the purview of specialty presses, it’s a little sad to say, but the state of the world and news cycle in the early 21st century has necessitated more authors and publishers to step up to the plate and hand out comfort in 32 page increments. There is nothing wrong with such books in principle, but for a librarian that’s always looking for the “rarest kind of best” in their picture books, such message-driven texts can be dull. Inevitably they forgo whimsy in the face of reality. If there is a metaphor involved, the book (which is probably a European import) runs the risk of being too oblique. What I wouldn’t give for a book that tackles the notion of how you can live through something terrible with calm fortitude and a keen sense of when, and when not, to inject some humor. In Crab Cake by Andrea Tsurumi, the book effectively establishes normality, disrupts it with horror, and then assures the reader that normality can return. Heavy stuff for a story about a little crab that bakes.
Below the sea the creatures of the deep live their daily lives. They might be sea turtles or tangs or scallops, but all of them have their parts to play. Crab? Crab bakes cakes. Large, strange, underwater sea cakes with frosting and algae and oyster shells. Back and forth we see the fish and lobsters and sharks and eels flittering about, while at the same time Crab bakes cakes. Then one night a boat, laden with human garbage, mistakenly dumps its cargo into the deep. Frozen with horror, no one knows what to do. That is, until Crab bakes a cake. Encouraged by this small act, everybody comes together to eat and talk and formulate a plan. And when that plan comes into play, the solution is sweet and neat. Everything goes back to normal, and Crab? Crab bakes cakes.
It’s interesting to compare this book to Tsurumi’s previous book, Accident. That story was this rolling series of chaotic events that snowball bigger and bigger and bigger with every page until culminating into true pandemonium. The tone of Crab Cake is entirely different. First of all, the book is designed to fool the average reader. I know that you’ve probably encountered picture books with a fictional premise, filled with facts in the sidebars. At first that appears to be Crab Cake’s general look, though it is punctuated repeatedly with the inherently ridiculous notion of a crab baking underwater. Amusingly, it's dealing with the same logistical problems behind this that you might find in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. And while there is a lot of undersea action going on in these pages, you don’t really think it’s much like Accident until the moment that garbage barge dumps its cargo into the sea in a storm. The grey/green image of the garbage flying has a distinct Accident feel to it, but what follows couldn’t be more different. There’s just this two-page silent spread of the junk in an underwater pile. No life nearby. Then, in subsequent pages, silent, horrified sea creatures. No words. Just staring against a backdrop of colors, sickly and bland. If Accident was about taking responsibility for your mistakes, Crab Cake is about taking care of yourself when the mistake is not your own.
Let’s go back to thinking about those picture books that show kids how to feel in the face of world disasters. Whenever something particularly awful appears in the news, you’ll hear people quoting Mr. Rogers. I think the line goes, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.” There’s comfort in knowing that other people are going to be there to help when things get bad. But what Crab Cake does is a little different. First, it maps out the steps of a tragedy. There’s the initial shock and subsequent fear. Then comes the desire to do something. Crab’s contribution is to produce the food that brings the undersea community back together. Eating together suggests normalcy. Once you have that in place you can start to make plans on how to solve your problem (in this case, an underwater trash mountain). Here the creatures use their own special skills to work together (I was particularly fond of the clam that just shouts encouragements). So what a kid is going to get from this is that even when things are terrible, there is a way to fix them if people communicate and help one another. Big “if” there, I know.
With the whole of the ocean at her disposal, Ms. Tsurumi could have chosen any underwater denizen as the titular baker. Her choice of crab has some notable advantages. Importantly, two claws (for easy gripping and baking), and six legs (for maneuverability). But even more important? No mouth. Why this choice? Most of the creatures in this book, after all, are talkative types. It’s not as if crab doesn’t speak. And it not as if crab doesn’t express emotions. But in keeping it from having a mouth, Tsurumi for the most part makes Crab into a means to an end. Its determination in the face of disaster matches its determination before the disaster ever happened.
Because Crab Cake is a bit more message-driven than Accident it has a harder road to hoe. Even so, Tsurumi’s style is inherently endearing. You know what it is about her drawings that makes them work so well? The eyes. They’re rendered in a cartoon-style without being cartoonish, if that makes any sense. I think, again, of that image of the sea turtle staring at the garbage, aghast. It takes a real hand to know how to play that line between humor and horror. Certainly this won’t be the first book librarians think to reach for when parents walk in asking for books that help kids understand how to process trauma. It’s a bit subtler than other books that tackle that topic. Even so, I think it probably does a better job than a whole slew of the didactic, moralistic tripe out there. This is a book with a ridiculous premise that dares to deal with raw emotional weight, and somehow, bizarrely, the combination works. Cake may not save the world, but when times are hard, it’s amazing how it helps make everything just the tiniest bit better.
For ages 4-7.
Below the sea the creatures of the deep live their daily lives. They might be sea turtles or tangs or scallops, but all of them have their parts to play. Crab? Crab bakes cakes. Large, strange, underwater sea cakes with frosting and algae and oyster shells. Back and forth we see the fish and lobsters and sharks and eels flittering about, while at the same time Crab bakes cakes. Then one night a boat, laden with human garbage, mistakenly dumps its cargo into the deep. Frozen with horror, no one knows what to do. That is, until Crab bakes a cake. Encouraged by this small act, everybody comes together to eat and talk and formulate a plan. And when that plan comes into play, the solution is sweet and neat. Everything goes back to normal, and Crab? Crab bakes cakes.
It’s interesting to compare this book to Tsurumi’s previous book, Accident. That story was this rolling series of chaotic events that snowball bigger and bigger and bigger with every page until culminating into true pandemonium. The tone of Crab Cake is entirely different. First of all, the book is designed to fool the average reader. I know that you’ve probably encountered picture books with a fictional premise, filled with facts in the sidebars. At first that appears to be Crab Cake’s general look, though it is punctuated repeatedly with the inherently ridiculous notion of a crab baking underwater. Amusingly, it's dealing with the same logistical problems behind this that you might find in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants. And while there is a lot of undersea action going on in these pages, you don’t really think it’s much like Accident until the moment that garbage barge dumps its cargo into the sea in a storm. The grey/green image of the garbage flying has a distinct Accident feel to it, but what follows couldn’t be more different. There’s just this two-page silent spread of the junk in an underwater pile. No life nearby. Then, in subsequent pages, silent, horrified sea creatures. No words. Just staring against a backdrop of colors, sickly and bland. If Accident was about taking responsibility for your mistakes, Crab Cake is about taking care of yourself when the mistake is not your own.
Let’s go back to thinking about those picture books that show kids how to feel in the face of world disasters. Whenever something particularly awful appears in the news, you’ll hear people quoting Mr. Rogers. I think the line goes, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’.” There’s comfort in knowing that other people are going to be there to help when things get bad. But what Crab Cake does is a little different. First, it maps out the steps of a tragedy. There’s the initial shock and subsequent fear. Then comes the desire to do something. Crab’s contribution is to produce the food that brings the undersea community back together. Eating together suggests normalcy. Once you have that in place you can start to make plans on how to solve your problem (in this case, an underwater trash mountain). Here the creatures use their own special skills to work together (I was particularly fond of the clam that just shouts encouragements). So what a kid is going to get from this is that even when things are terrible, there is a way to fix them if people communicate and help one another. Big “if” there, I know.
With the whole of the ocean at her disposal, Ms. Tsurumi could have chosen any underwater denizen as the titular baker. Her choice of crab has some notable advantages. Importantly, two claws (for easy gripping and baking), and six legs (for maneuverability). But even more important? No mouth. Why this choice? Most of the creatures in this book, after all, are talkative types. It’s not as if crab doesn’t speak. And it not as if crab doesn’t express emotions. But in keeping it from having a mouth, Tsurumi for the most part makes Crab into a means to an end. Its determination in the face of disaster matches its determination before the disaster ever happened.
Because Crab Cake is a bit more message-driven than Accident it has a harder road to hoe. Even so, Tsurumi’s style is inherently endearing. You know what it is about her drawings that makes them work so well? The eyes. They’re rendered in a cartoon-style without being cartoonish, if that makes any sense. I think, again, of that image of the sea turtle staring at the garbage, aghast. It takes a real hand to know how to play that line between humor and horror. Certainly this won’t be the first book librarians think to reach for when parents walk in asking for books that help kids understand how to process trauma. It’s a bit subtler than other books that tackle that topic. Even so, I think it probably does a better job than a whole slew of the didactic, moralistic tripe out there. This is a book with a ridiculous premise that dares to deal with raw emotional weight, and somehow, bizarrely, the combination works. Cake may not save the world, but when times are hard, it’s amazing how it helps make everything just the tiniest bit better.
For ages 4-7.
July 12, 2024
This is an interesting lesson book on several levels that is nicely illustrated.
Level one: There is a crab that bakes cake. And, because the crab bakes it creates unity in the sea, which readers will learn about.
Level two: Sea creatures find a way to come together. Because as we know, or would want to teach children, sea life exist in the sea for their own purpose. And, this book shows that purpose.
Level three: Humans have a tendency to dump junk in the ocean. And, the sea creatures don’t like it. So, they do something about it. This will be another learning lesson for the readers.
Reading level: Ages 4 – 7 years – Grade – Pre-school – 3rd+
Level one: There is a crab that bakes cake. And, because the crab bakes it creates unity in the sea, which readers will learn about.
Level two: Sea creatures find a way to come together. Because as we know, or would want to teach children, sea life exist in the sea for their own purpose. And, this book shows that purpose.
Level three: Humans have a tendency to dump junk in the ocean. And, the sea creatures don’t like it. So, they do something about it. This will be another learning lesson for the readers.
Reading level: Ages 4 – 7 years – Grade – Pre-school – 3rd+
May 19, 2022
What a fun book, plus a wake up call for what humans are doing to the oceans. Love the illustrations, and I think those who have an acting background can have fun reading this to the littles in their lives
September 17, 2020
The message is clear, stop polluting the oceans. Humans are dirty creatures.
February 25, 2019
Brilliant and uplifting!! A true true gem.
A story that explores sea life, has a charming crab who makes cakes at the center, involves a surprising and ominous visual middle, and bestows a message of sustaining our oceans by way of crabs who make cakes being key.
A story that explores sea life, has a charming crab who makes cakes at the center, involves a surprising and ominous visual middle, and bestows a message of sustaining our oceans by way of crabs who make cakes being key.
February 23, 2019
What a beautiful lesson: use your gifts and use them fearlessly, and you'll inspire others to do the same.
February 22, 2019
This one picked up layers along the way and baked into something super sweet!
Love the message of community coming together, cuter than I was expecting and I appreciated the non-fiction animal facts woven in, too! This is one takes the cake. (Okay, I’ll stop).
Love the message of community coming together, cuter than I was expecting and I appreciated the non-fiction animal facts woven in, too! This is one takes the cake. (Okay, I’ll stop).
August 13, 2019
I love Andrea Tsurumi's art.
February 21, 2019
I enjoyed this book's little theme about how performing small acts of creativity and domestic nurturance can be a form of community organizing and resistance building. I also really enjoyed the little funny drawings of small oceanic cupcakes with coral and seashells on them.
April 28, 2019
Such a delightful mix of good science and humor and awareness. Sea creatures can't clean up the ocean themselves, any more than a crab can bake a cake. Will make great discussion with small people.
March 18, 2019
Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together by Andrea Tsurumi. PICTURE BOOK. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. $18. 9780544959002
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
All the creatures of the sea are busy doing their thing while crab bakes delicious pastries. Life continues as “normal” until a large pile of garbage is dumped into the ocean and over a slice of cake, they problem solve what to do.
I thought the lesson of this book was that food brings communities together and my daughter thought the lesson of this book was not to pollute. Both morals are there and it says something about a book when it can cover two very different topics - conveying the quirky nature of this book.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
All the creatures of the sea are busy doing their thing while crab bakes delicious pastries. Life continues as “normal” until a large pile of garbage is dumped into the ocean and over a slice of cake, they problem solve what to do.
I thought the lesson of this book was that food brings communities together and my daughter thought the lesson of this book was not to pollute. Both morals are there and it says something about a book when it can cover two very different topics - conveying the quirky nature of this book.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
March 9, 2019
This cute picture book will help young readers pause for a moment and consider ways that we can be better stewards of our planet, especially our oceans. All of the underwater creatures in this story go about their business, especially crab who enjoys baking cakes to share with everybody. But when suddenly a big pile of junk is dumped into their world, it seems as if everything is ruined. Thankfully crab's generous spirit along with the delicious cake brings the community together. And working together they are able to restore their underwater neighborhood and give a message to the rest of us. This book would be great to include in a collection of books about the environment, especially in the days leading up to Earth Day.
March 12, 2019
The illustrations here are really fun - expressive, energetic, and full of engaging detail. But something about the text/story doesn't quite work for me. Much of the description is or at least seems specific and scientifically accurate ("the venomous lionfish," the parrotfish who eats coral and poops sand, etc.), so it feels kind of jarring for crab to be baking these whimsical cakes. I like the message that a small act of bravery can bring people to together to tackle big problems, and it's a pretty understandable environmental message even for a very little kid, but it just doesn't quite work for me.
Iris digs it, though, so what do I know?
Iris digs it, though, so what do I know?
February 5, 2019
An unexpected story of community and environmental awareness. It didn't grab me initially, but around midway the story took a turn that had me rooting for our ocean friends. The illustrations are fun, and the tale lends an opportunity to talk to young readers about cleaning up our oceans and working together to bring change.
February 25, 2019
Under the sea, everything is nice and peaceful. Fish swim, dolphins play, and crab….bakes cakes? Read this incredibly fun and hilarious picture book about sharing, caring, and respect.
Recommended for grades K-1st. Lexile Level: N/A
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
Recommended for grades K-1st. Lexile Level: N/A
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
March 21, 2019
This one did make me laugh, and the highlight of the book is the "come get your junk" spread. I didn't quite understand why crab was making cakes, especially when crab cakes are made out of crab (I know, I know). A good attempt, but I wanted more. I think kiddos will like this one.
January 30, 2019
Give it a sec... because it's better than it seems.
March 9, 2019
A silly but moving story about coming together as a community, taking care of our environment, and... a crab who likes to bake cakes.
March 15, 2019
subtle humor, sneaky message, detailed illustrations
August 8, 2019
My son said it's good illustrations and people are messy.
March 18, 2020
This is an adorable and humorous book with wonderful illustrations! Life under the sea and all it's creatures share day to day activities until disaster strikes! I love how the illustrator uses black and white and the creatures huge eyes to show the devastation of their environment. With humor and perseverance, crab continues to serve his community and pull everyone back together. This gave me a few out-loud chuckles and some inspiration to reach out to my neighbors on my street during this crazy time of life during Corona Virus madness.
Find Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together at Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
Find Crab Cake: Turning the Tide Together at Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
October 28, 2021
In this beautiful tale, baking cakes represents a call to action through the rendition and story telling of so many exquisite sea animals. Though a clever twist, the author Andrea Tsurumi creates a well told story that brings upon important messages such as global warming and the ability to crate real change through collaboration and community. These fun, simplistic illustrations utilize the tool of double spreads and line work that creates clear distinction of the many characters, the animals that are described throughout the story. The ability to create moods through the use of tones and colors is perfectly executed throughout the plot as well as creating the ominous, dire mood that is accurate to the situations that are occurring on our planet today. Overall, Tsurumi fills a gap that is needed through the ability to reach and teach children on the beginning of an important conversation that will impact the world and all of us that reside on it.
October 10, 2019
All the fish do what fish do. The scallop swims. Dolphin blows bubbles. And crab bakes cakes. Until one day there is a huge splash...and the undersea creatures revolt against all the trash.
April 20, 2022
Topic of protecting oceans from pollution with humor - probably preschool and older for story time.
June 23, 2022
Loved the illustrations!
March 23, 2024
I just now started liking the bath, so I’m just not sure I’m ready to be an ocean guy yet.
December 23, 2019
All the animals are in the ocean doing what they do, except for the Crab, who is baking? What?
The animals are then victims of someone dumping trash. They're paralyzed and can't do ANYTHING. Crab bakes and gets everyone going again and together they do something about the trash.
It's not fair that they have to deal with it, but that's the reality.
The animals are then victims of someone dumping trash. They're paralyzed and can't do ANYTHING. Crab bakes and gets everyone going again and together they do something about the trash.
It's not fair that they have to deal with it, but that's the reality.
March 6, 2019
4.5 stars -- For a book about a crab who loves to bake confections, this is a surprisingly moving book. Humor and a love of nature combine to tell the story of a busy coral reef, an especially unique crab resident, and what happens when a garbage barge spills its contents onto the undersea paradise.
Great story that will get kids thinking about ocean life and the ramifications of litter and pollution.
Great story that will get kids thinking about ocean life and the ramifications of litter and pollution.
May 13, 2019
Great way to introduce kids to caring about the earth, specifically paying attention to the ocean. Done with humor and doesn't come across as *trying* to teach a lesson.
Loved that there was a list of kid-friendly websites at the end for those interested in exploring more.
Loved that there was a list of kid-friendly websites at the end for those interested in exploring more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews