Sammy, the Little Broken Shell

Sammy, the Little Broken Shell is a sweet book written by Carol Hamblet Adams with illustrations rendered by Linda Clearwater. Your child will enjoy diving into the world of Shellville and meeting the Scallop family.

Sammy is a little scallop that enjoys playing baseball, and has a lot of friends at the Shellementary School that he attends. However, his life changes suddenly when he is walking home from school one day with his sister Samantha. Captain Steve was checking his lobster traps and dropped his anchor down to the ocean floor. Sammy pushes his sister to safety, but in the process, the anchor chips a piece off of his shell.

When Sammy's friends see his broken shell, most of them ridicule him. Sammy feels so alone, and wonders if he will ever have his friends again.

Sammy's teacher, Miss Lucy, got ensnared in one of Captain Steve's lobster traps. No one is able to free her because no one had teeth sharp enough to cut the ropes. However, Sammy's chipped shell is sharp enough to cut the ropes and free his teacher.

Miss Lucy sees the situation as a great way to teach her pupils an important lesson:

"It doesn't matter what we look like on the outside. What matters most is what we are like on the inside, in our hearts ... The very gifts that make us different may help others the most, just like Sammy's broken shell. What's important is to know that no matter what we look like or feel like, we are very special people, just the way we are."


What I Like: This is a sweetly written, interesting story with a good lesson for children. There are also talking points for parents and teachers on the last page of the book.

What I Dislike: I don't dislike anything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 4-8
 
Publisher Info: Harvest House Publishers, 2011; ISBN: ;Hardcover, 32 pgs., $14.99.

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