Var inte rädd, lilla krabba

by Chris Haughton

Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a tiny rock pool near the sea. Today they’re going for a dip in the big ocean. “This is going to be so great,” says Little Crab, splish-splashing and squelch-squelching along, all the way to the very edge. Then comes a first glance down at the waves. WHOOSH! Maybe it’s better if they don’t go in? With vivid colors, bold shapes, and his trademark visual humor, Chris Haughton shows that sometimes a gentle “don’t worry, I’m here” can keep tentative little crabs sidestepping ahead — and help them discover the brilliant worlds that await when they take the plunge.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Family

Hardcover

First published June 1, 2019

About the author

Chris Haughton is an Irish illustrator and author living in London. He was listed in Time magazine's 'DESIGN 100' for the work he has been doing for fair trade clothing company People Tree. His debut book 'A Bit Lost' was first published in English in September 2010. It has been translated into 15 languages and won 9 awards in 7 countries including the Dutch Picturebook of the Year.
'Oh No George' came out in March 2012 and has been nominated for 6 awards in 4 countries including the Roald Dahl Funny award.

Reviews

[Dream.M · Rating 4 out of 5]

وای خدایا این کتابا خیلی خوبن :)
نقاشی های کیوت و داستان های ساده آموزنده بانمک :))
داستان این کتاب درباره بیرون اومدن از منطقه امن هستش. به بچه ها یاد میده محیط جدید میتونه جای قشنگی باشه و کلی بهشون خوش بگذره و از رفتن به جاهای جدید و غریبه نترسند. همچنین اهمیت همراهی بزرگترها رو توی این جریان خیلی خوب یادآوری میکنه

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a rock pool beside the sea. One day they decide to venture into the sea and Little Crab is excited until he sees how big the sea is and how huge the waves are.

Little Crab is scared but with help from Very Big Crab, they slowly edge closer and closer until they are eventually in the sea. But what will happen to them as a humongous wave is heading their way?

Don’t Worry, Little Crab is a lovely young children’s book about a little crab and a bigger crab. When Little Crab gets scared and worried Very Big Crab is there to help his friend and reassure him that everything will be okay and they can take it slowly.

The book will help children understand that sometimes things aren’t as scary as they first seem and that having someone there to help you overcome your fears always helps. I love the descriptive noise sounds as the crabs move and walk across rock and seaweed etc. I also love the illustrations as they bring the crabs and the sea to life.

This is an adorable children’s book. I can see this book being the perfect fit for an anxious child too or those who might be nervous about a new place or adventure. It would also work wonderful as a class read as I can the little children being mesmerised by the story and delighted by the images.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

بدون شک آموزنده‌ترین جلد این مجموعه بوده تا الان.
چقدر خوبه این مجموعه. واسه بچه‌ها از اینا بخونید به جای اینکه گوشی بدید دستشون تا کالاف و ماینکرافت بازی کنن.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watched Tom Hardy read this on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. As a scuba diver I love pretty much anything to do with sea creatures so this was adorable. Even as an adult it's good to be reminded that if you're brave a whole new world will open to up to you.

[Odette Brethouwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het verhaal vind ik te schattig en te mooi, en de illustratiestijl vind ik ook geweldig. Ik ben verliefd op deze prentenboeken!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik vind de illustraties van Chris Haughton zo mooi! Hij heeft een compleet eigen tekenstijl en het kleurgebruik is fantastisch. Het verhaaltje over kleine krab is bovendien erg schattig!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading picture books with Teddy is one of the great joys of my life. Now that he's old enough to enjoy them, we are having so much fun reading together. I honestly feel weepy just thinking about it, about how much he loves this book about crabs facing their fears and exploring the ocean! Being a mom is so weird and awesome.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Crab is nervous about making his first trip from the tide pool to the ocean, but soon discovers he has nothing to fear.

The gorgeous illustrations by the author make this a journey worth taking.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kleine Krab verovert ter plekke je hart. De kleuren, de expressie, de voor het oog zo eenvoudige illustraties: een echte Haughton.

Komt goed, Kleine Krab is het vijfde prentenboek van Chris Haughton. ‘Een handvol’ zal een peuter of kleuter zeggen, de doelgroep van deze succesvolle reeks.
Na Mama kwijt, Welterusten allemaal, Stoute hond en Ssst! we hebben een plan, gaat dit boek over doorzetten, moedig zijn en zelfvertrouwen krijgen.

Kleine Krab woont met Grote Krab tussen de stenen dichtbij de zee. Veilig op een beschutte plek.
Op een dag gaan ze samen ‘schaartje-baden’ en krabbelen naar zee! Totdat. Kleine Krab krabbelt terug als hij de golven ziet. De hele hoge golven zijn eng. Of lijken ze alleen maar eng? Eén stapje in zee is toch ook al ‘in zee’?
Grote Krab neemt de Kleine pootje voor pootje mee en met subtiele overredingskracht laat hij zich uiteindelijk op een golf meenemen naar de diepere zee. Woesj! Een wereld met de prachtigste kleuren gaat voor hem open, een kleurenpalet vol vriendschap als beloning voor de nieuwe uitdaging die de dappere Kleine Krab is aangegaan.

Een prachtig vierkant prentenboek in een heel mooie kleurstelling waarbij de minimale gezichts- of pootuitdrukking in emotie wordt vertaald. Soms zijn nieuwe dingen eng, wordt er tegengestribbeld, maar met hulp en doorzettingsvermogen zal het zelfvertrouwen groeien als de uitdaging wordt aangegaan en het plezier als de gewoonste zaak van de wereld dat erop volgt. Het lijkt net het echte leven. Ook als een peuter of kleuter met tegenzin hoort dat het tijd is om naar huis te gaan, een dag te sluiten.

Een boek dat bij de zomer past maar qua thematiek voor alle jaargetijden is. Door dapper te zijn, vertrouwen te hebben en hulp te accepteren, leer je grenzen te verleggen en gaat er een nieuwe wereld voor je open.
Een Haughton is kunst. Een kleurrijk cadeau voor iedereen. Een topper van een prentenboek!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tic-a-tic, tic-a-tic” go Little Crab and Very Big Crab over the rocks. Just as eagerly, I follow along.

There’s so much charm and uniqueness to this book. From the block font to the simple but dramatic scenes to the color combinations.

I sympathize with Little Crab and am glad he has Very Big Crab to encourage him in the face of each “WHOOSH!”

Exploring the new waters is scary but turns out to make life so interesting!

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic!! About bravery when scared of the unknown and the way those around with more experience can help guide you slowly through trying something new. And the surprises that can be found when trying something new, even if it's scary at first. I especially love the step by step, patient, & supportive way Big Crab helps Little Crab face that fear. Will pair perfectly with There Might Be Lobsters & Jabari Jumps.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day, Very Big Crab tells Little Crab it's time to leave their tide pool and head to the ocean. At first, Little Crab is very excited to be going somewhere, but when they reach the ocean, it's a whole different story. As the waves come nearer and get bigger, so does Little Crab's reluctance and anxiety. As Very Big Crab gently encourages and reassures Little Crab, the two manage to slowly get closer and closer to the ocean, until enormous wave comes along and washes them down, down, down into the ocean's depths. And once there, Little Crab couldn't be happier or more excited. There are friends to be made, seaweed to eat, hide-and-seek to play. And you guessed it, when Very Big Crab says it's time to go home to their tide pool, Little Crab does not want to leave the ocean. So the very patient and understanding Very Big Crab suggests they take the long way home just to enjoy a little more ocean time. This is a really great for kids who feel anxious when faced with new experiences.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't like telling kids (or anyone?) "don't worry" and pushing them saying "it's okay" etc. because it feels like telling kids to suppress an emotion instead of dealing with the root cause but other than that this book is cute and dealing with fear.

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Change is exciting and also scary.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little crab is going to make his first trip to the big big sea!

I was absolutely delighted that my library had this one in their collection, it is pretty rare to find new English books, so I do a little dance each time they add something new that I wanted to read/looks interesting.

This book was just so much fun, and I read it aloud to my hubbie who also had a laugh about the story.

In this story it is the very first time the little crab goes to the big wide sea with very big crab. He is quite scared of it, and wants to go home a lot of times. I could imagine that he wanted that given that there is a lot of whooshing of the waves. Big waves. Much bigger than our tiny little crab. But luckily, there is very big crab who keeps telling him not to worry, that he should just go for it.

In the end very big crab manages to get little crab to come with him and what happens next was just a wonderful and sweet thing. I won’t spoil anything, you will have to read it. I am so happy for both crabs though, and I loved seeing what happened in those last pages.

The art was really fun, though then again I do love Chris Haughton’s art already, so it was no surprise. I love the way the crabs were drawn, and I love how colourful several of the illustrations were.

All in all, a fun and sweet story about trying that one scary thing and not to worry too much about things, finding courage and bravery. I would recommend this one. I am sure kids will love it, and parents can use it when their kids are afraid of an event about to happen.

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

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a tide pool, and they are heading to the big ocean. Little Crab is excited at first, but the ocean intimidates Little Crab. Very Big Crab offers support, and together they have an adventure in the ocean.

Great illustrations, with lots of lovely sound effects in the text that bring the experience to life.

[Abby Johnson]

SUPER CUTE. I love this book. Little Crab is visiting the big ocean for the first time and equal parts excited about nervous about it. This is perfect for young readers who are nervous to try something new and the child's sensibility is spot on. Little Crab reminds me so much of my niece who was 2 last summer and loved her neighborhood pool, but found parts of the water slides and play space a little intimidating. Great for storytime, great for individual sharing. Love it.

[Emily Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crab and his parent entering the sea for the first time.
Very bright pictures and I really like the use of onomatopoeia especially for EYFS and KS1 children, make it very engaging for them.
Teaches about bravery and how rewarding it can be and I really enjoyed that message.
Really recommend.

[Negar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 3
Illustration 5

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, my. This is so charming: from the illustrations to the sweet story.

[Brydie Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this adorable book from the library (in Dutch) to read to my son about a little crab going outside its comfort zone and discovering the big beautiful world beyond the rock pool.

Saving here so I remember to find it and buy it.

[Abril G. Karera · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia de una cangrejita que conoce el mar de la mano de su papá y lo muy impresionante que resulta la experiencia. La ilustración es cálida e interesante. Ojalá puedan echarle un vistazo :)

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB by Chris Haughton, Candlewick, April 2020, 48p., ISBN: 978-1-5362-1119-1

“I rest my resistance fall piece by piece into peace
And slip like the water back into the sea”
-- Edie Brickell, “This Eye” (1990)

“WHOOSH!
‘I don’t think I like the ocean,’ says Little Crab. ‘Maybe we should go home.’
‘Don’t worry, Little Crab,’ says Very Big Crab. ‘I’m here. Come! Just a few more steps.’
Little Crab takes a step…then another...until…”

“It’s important to acknowledge your child’s worries and not to force them into situations that make them scared. Gently encourage them to be brave and try something new.
When in a new situation, give your child time to adjust and get used to it...Make sure you appear confident and outgoing yourself so your child can see how it’s done.”
-- from Pregnancy, Birth & Baby, “Helping Toddlers Manage New Situations” (2018)

Very Big Crab does a great job of employing these reassuring techniques in DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB.

Very Big Crab leads an excited Little Crab to the ocean. Once there, and faced with big waves, it feels scary to Little Crab. But Very Big Crab’s presence and encouragement leads Little Crab to be brave and thereby discover that the ocean is, in fact, a very fun experience. The story concludes with Little Crab being reluctant to leave the ocean and return home to his tidal pool.

I love Chris Haughton’s creature characters. His style is unique and identifiable. A big part of that style involves the eyes. Take a look at his previous books--LITTLE OWL LOST; OH NO, GEORGE; SHH! WE HAVE A PLAN; and GOODNIGHT EVERYONE. Notice the expressiveness conveyed through the eyes of his characters.

Having not been the boldest little kid, I’m glad that my earliest seaside experiences were on a gentle Long Island Sound beach. The size and force of the waves along that shoreline are nothing compared to the typical pounding surf on Long Island’s Atlantic Ocean side.

As with Haughton’s previous picture books, DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB will make a big splash with the preschool crowd.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

With all the crises around us today, I thought this book would be a good choice for reading and reviewing. I really love the whole package. Simplicity at its best. I’m glad for this so that the messages don’t get lost in all the bells and whistles that some books provide.

Messages about anxiety and fears, worries and uncertainties that young readers experience especially during this year, are address with kindness, calmness, soft strength and assuredness. Anyone, even old children would benefit from this story when experiencing a panic attack or waves of anxiety. As an adult with anxiety and panic attack issues, I appreciated the story and the author’s presentation in a simple format. There are vivid colors and fun illustrations that distract, but the words are calming and strong, with peaceful and kind undercurrents. I think it’s effective and beneficial and would prove useful in any school situation in teaching trust and understanding, being brave and strong, and, in overcoming fear. Even children with special needs would benefit from this book too.

I plan on introducing it to my clients with special needs and if they find it beneficial may plan on getting more for mentoring purposes.

[pineapple tofu · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the smallest tide pools to the most significant undersea landscapes, Big Crab takes Little Crab on an adventure to the ocean. They travel over rugged rocks and squishy seaweed, and Little Crab believes he can do anything. WHOOSH! The waves go, and suddenly they are both underwater. Purple and redfish visit them as they twirl beneath the sea. Little Crab has fun playing hide and seek with the coral and seeing all the locals of the sea kingdom. As time passes, it's time to go home, and Big and Little Crab take the long but colorful way home.
Brightly colored turquoise and cornflower yellows, the ocean is decorated with all kinds of sea life below. I loved how Little Crab faced its fears of venturing into the ocean and how Big Crab helped along the way. The front and black inside covers of soft blues of the sea are pretty, showing off the landscape, Little Crab adores so much. I definitely need to check more of this author’s works.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to give 5 stars (I always think: did I really like it THAT much?), but I did just dearly love this book and chuckled all the way through. I should give this to our school counselor, but I selfishly want to get to read this to the kids myself. A charming story about a little crab who is SO EXCITED to go to the ocean. Except when it gets there, the ocean is so BIG. Fortunately, Big Crab is there to encourage Little Crab the rest of the way. Charming. Love the illustrations. Love everything.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a super cute picture book about a big crab and a little crab that live in a small tidepool and decide to travel to the big ocean! Little Crab is hesitant and not sure about it, but Big Crab urges him on! Once they're in the ocean, Little Crab doesn't want to go home!

The illustrations are gorgeous! Especially the underwater ones! The text is simple and great for beginner readers and includes a lot of fun onomatopoeia as well!

This is a beautiful exploration of being brave, trying new things, and learning just how far you can go!

[Cannelle]

Tous les albums de Chris Haughton sont trop mimi. Les dessins sont franchement top : formes un peu géométriques et très simples + couleurs très agréables. Les histoire sont drôles aussi !
Je suis dans mon era lecture de livre jeunesse grâce aux stages en bibliothèque. Là on a mis en place une expo autour des livres de Chris Haughton avec les œuvres des enfants c’est trop trop mignon 🥹
Mes œuvres préférées c’est celles autour de cet album « Pas de panique petit crabe », beaucoup de couleurs j’adore 🦀🐠

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

J’ai bien aimé l’idée que le livre cherche à transmettre : avancer petit pas par petit pas malgré la peur. En revanche, le « pas de panique », comme relevé dans d’autres commentaires, me gêne - I felt like le petit crabe se forçait plus qu’autre chose. Pas très fan non plus de la traduction de « s’amuser comme des fous ».

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well received in storytime.