The Boy Who Lived in a Shell: Snippets for Wandering Minds

Gr 2-5–A new collection of humorous story poems introduces a boy named Ivo, who lives in giant moon shell that carries him out to sea. He spends his time writing story poems that introduce whimsical characters, such as Dolphin, the nicest creature in the ocean, and Carrotboy, who eats so many carrots he turns into a rabbit. The story poems are sometimes silly and sometimes sad but always surprising. Ivo narrates the story, and some of the characters are playfully revisited as he continues to write. For example, the many adventures of the puppies Toby and Pip are cleverly woven throughout the book, and excitement builds as readers follows their tale to see what will happen. There are many more fanciful characters and surprising stories to follow as Ivo spins yarns that provoke laughter and spark imagination. Bright and fanciful illustrations combine lovely pen-and-ink drawings with bright touches of color that delightfully capture the whimsy of each character. The subtitle, Snippets for Wandering Minds, says it all: These are not poems in the traditional sense, but rather a combination of humorous poetry and thoughtful storytelling that will engage readers’ fancies and should enjoy wide appeal among young readers, especially those who enjoy the works of Shel Silverstein and Douglas Florian.