Immerse yourself in an uplifting tale of friendship with Tuula Pere's The Caring Crab. Illustrated by Roksolana Panchyshyn, this picture book follows the story of a kind-hearted crab named Colin. Colin loves to build and is the most gifted builder on the eastern riverbank. He has built a beautiful home for himself which he continues to work on daily. Colin also never hesitates to help out his friends, whether building the foundation of the tortoises' home, helping Ms. Catfish with house repairs, or listening to Sally the Starfish' neverending problems. Now, Colin wants to start his latest project -- building a garden pavilion. But the arrival of an exuberant fish family puts his plans on hold, leading to Colin burying himself in his blanket and refusing to come out of his house. Can his friends help him?

Author Tuula Pere has written a heartwarming tale that gently shows how friends help each other in times of need. The Caring Crab is the kind of story that instantly lifts your spirits and leaves you with a smile on your face. Young readers are going to love this book. Pere really shines in crafting genuinely likable characters who find their way into your hearts, and Colin is no exception. As a reader, from the first few pages, you can tell the kind of friend Colin is, and it becomes easier for you to root for him. I also immensely enjoyed the secondary characters, such as Sally the Starfish and Eddie the Eel, and their efforts to get Colin out of his funk. On the whole, an entertaining picture book for kids with a few valuable life lessons.

The Caring Crab by Tuula Pere and Roksolana Panchyshyn is a charming tale of friendship, community, self-care, and being there for each other. Colin has a passion for building and uses his skills to help those who live in his community along the eastern riverbank. He hasn't the heart to say no to anyone needing his help. While he loves helping others, his dream is to build a garden pavilion. But despite the work he puts into it, the pavilion is still not finished as he spends all his time helping others such as Ms. Catfish and Sally who have problems with their homes. To add to his stress, a fish family has moved into his construction site and has turned it into their playground. Colin keeps at it until he’s too exhausted to continue and gives up by hiding away from his friends. Seeing their friend in trouble, the eastern riverbank community gathers to devise a plan to help him.

The unique illustrations are inviting as the colors and style will immediately catch children’s attention. The color scheme is primarily blue which creates the appearance of being under the water and effectively takes you into Colin’s world. Each page features a fun mashup of water and a normal neighborhood so children can see familiarity and community in the illustrations. The story is visually playful and entertaining for younger children, making them more likely to be interested. Colin is a fun protagonist who is delightfully designed with illustrations supporting the story through his vivid expressions. Tuula Pere and Roksolana Panchyshyn inspire discussion as children follow Colin as he goes from helping one friend to everyone coming to him with their problems until he’s completely overwhelmed. The story makes clear the importance of being a good person through Colin who gives advice, digs foundations of homes, helps build nests, and even rescues fish. But the biggest theme is the need to take care of ourselves and how that is required to be able to help others. The last part of the story focuses on the community rallying together to help him. The Caring Crab shows the importance of community, helping others, self-care, and kindness through the lovely journey of Colin and his riverbank friends.

The Caring Crab: Colin the Crab by Tuula Pere is a children’s picture book. Colin the Crab is proud to be the best builder on the riverbank, and his skills are in great demand. But now he’s got his own project to complete – his very own garden pavilion. After working hard for a week while helping his friends with their problems, Colin is disappointed to discover he hasn’t gotten very far. If that weren’t bad enough, a new fish family has moved into his construction area, and they are pretty boisterous. Colin can’t take much more. He buries himself and won’t talk to anyone. His friends decide it’s time for them to do something to pull him out of his funk. How can they help Colin and repay him for all the help he’s given them?

The Caring Crab is another wonderful offering from talented writer Tuula Pere, with some stunning illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn that tell a story of their own. Tuula has a real way with words in her children’s stories, and she uses them as lessons for kids, not just fun stories. In The Caring Crab, kids learn not to take advantage of the kindness of others while also learning the value of true friendship and how working together is the best way to achieve things. This story has been written in a wonderfully simple way, easy for children to understand and follow, with some lovely characters. Tuula has provided yet another gem that should be included in every child’s home library and should be read in school, too, to help reinforce the messages.

Colin the Crab was a fantastic builder who tried to help all in need. Tuula Pere tells his story in The Caring Crab. If anyone had a need, Colin was always there to lend a helping hand. He built many things for others but never had time to build his garden pavilion. After winning a great prize, Colin wanted to share the good news with his friends. They were all too busy to listen to him, so he became depressed. The crab went to bed and refused to get up. Finally, the other animals all decide what they can do to show Colin how important he is in their lives. Read this delightful book and learn how Colin’s friends showed love and concern for him.

The Caring Crab by Tuula Pere is a wonderful children’s picture book with many adorable animals as its characters. The illustrations by Roksolana Panchyshyn add character and depth to the various animals. Your child will love seeing how loving and caring Colin is and what he does for his neighbors. But helping everyone who needed help took Colin away from his project until, finally, he snapped and became depressed. Help your children understand why it is important to help others while at the same time practicing self-care. Also, discuss with your children the importance of acknowledging those who support them and doing what they can in return. While your children enjoy the story, you can use this book as a starting point for hours of discussion.