When Hermit the Crab fills his cave with all his "treasures" he has located, he travels out on the sand to collect yet one more item when a dog buries him in the sand. A little boy sees this and saves the crab by putting him back in the ocean. The crab is overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the boy because he saved his life. The crab finds a treasure at the bottom of the ocean and after quite some work and planning delivers gold to the boys home as payment for saving his life.
I thought the book was cleverly written, and the poetry pulls you along into the story. Not being a huge poetry fan, this book kept my interest and made me want to turn the page. The illustrations were great!
As a classroom extension I would ask the children what they thought of the crab and his "hermit, selfish ways". The students could draw their version of a hidden treasure under the sea. I would have the students use this story as a starter for their own poem about an animal or friendship.