Crab Cake

Starred review from October 22, 2018
Life under the teal Tsurumi sea is abundant, busy, and seems pretty much by the textbook: “Spiny Lobster looks for a new home. Parrotfish crunches coral and poops sand... Lionfish does whatever she pleases.” But one serious outlier, Crab, bakes cakes, cupcakes, and more—frosted peach and green confections studded with shells and seaweed. Crab’s fellow inhabitants both indulge in the treats and find the baking behavior a little perplexing. In one drawing, Tsurumi shows the classic ocean food chain, with Crab proffering a cupcake to the last and smallest fish. Then, one night, a literal boatload of junk crashes into the ocean; the once-limpid water turns dark, and everyone is at a loss (“Dolphin freezes. Manta Ray freezes. Even Lionfish freezes”)—except Crab, who determinedly bakes a cake. This act of defiance and resilience coaxes the shocked schools out of hiding to nosh, comfort one another, and find a solution. Fans of Accident! will be happy that Tsurumi’s mastery of detail, humor, and clear-eyed empathy continues in this wholly original and moving affirmation of one crab’s power to bring a community together. Ages 4–7. Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.

November 1, 2018
Preschool-G In this follow-up to Tsurumi's well-received Accident!? (2017), many creatures go about their business under the sea: Clownfish hides in the stinging anemone. Manta Ray gets cleaned . . . [and] Scallop does loop-de-loops, while Crab . . . well, Crab bakes cakes. Quite how one bakes underwater when everybody else is doing biologically appropriate, if anthropomorphized, activities is entirely beside the point, especially when suddenly there's a BIG SPLASH! and lots of garbage is dumped into their world from a boat that had been circling ominously on the back cover. This trauma causes everyone to freeze up, except for Crab, who carries on baking, bringing everybody together around good food and inspiring them to collaboratively return the mess to land, along with a message to humans: Come get your junk! While entertaining, as evidenced by the playful title which recalls appetizers at a seafood restaurant, it is with serious intent and empathy that these comical comics (graphite on vellum with digital coloring) successfully communicate a theme of community and environmentalism.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

December 21, 2018

K-Gr 2-Under the sea, the animals all have their part to play. The tangs swim in schools, the scallop flips in a loop-de-loop, and the crab...bakes cakes. Tsurumi gracefully switches between pseudo-nonfiction snapshots of undersea life and a ridiculous tale about a crab baking for its friends. The two threads come together toward the middle of the book, when a large amount of trash is dumped into their ocean. Shocked and scared, the other fish turn to Crab, who feeds them and orchestrates a cleanup movement. This is not only a simple tale about the healing power of baking, but also about the importance of clean oceans-links in the back to NASA Climate Kids and other sites help reiterate that important point. As in her debut, Accident!, it's Tsurumi's illustrations that win the day. Her attention to detail and ability to create rich textures through shading and colors truly bring the animals to life. And the cartoon style makes the piece fun and lighthearted before shifting gears to show the animals fearfully looking at the blackened garbage that has infested their home. VERDICT A sweet and hopeful tale-highly recommended for one-on-one and small group sharing.-Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

Starred review from October 1, 2018
Sea creatures fortified by pastries work together to clean up their home."Under the sea, where sunlight touches sand," aquatic animals live mostly in peace. "Scallop does loop-de-loops," "Octopus hides in a coconut," "The venomous Lionfish does whatever she pleases," and "Crab bakes cakes." Each full-page spread is a delight of detail, with adorable, expressive creatures that kids can pore over at length. The bright colors suddenly darken, though, when "one night, there's a BIG SPLASH!" and a barge dumps a load of trash into their habitat. The animals freeze, horrified, but Crab gathers its fortitude and bakes yet another cake. The sea creatures collect as a community, eating and discussing what to do next, and they come up with a plan to send the trash back to the humans. Each animal does what it can to help (each with its own distinctive, vigorous verb), and soon life under the sea is back to normal. The tone shifts dramatically in this surprising story, from light and fun to serious and upsetting, gently but clearly showing children how everyone has unique skills and interests that they can use in support of community or a common goal. Just baking a cake might seem frivolous, but readers come away with the idea that nourishing and supporting one another is the only way to change the world.A kid-friendly yet profound confection. (Picture book. 4-8)

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