Book Review: Sherri the Shrimp

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

Big heroes come in little packages.

Octavius the Octopus is missing. Larry and Kevin, Octavius’s friends and your favorite crustaceans, become even more worried when they realize he isn’t just hanging out with his sweetheart Farrah the Flounder.

All the critters of the great big ocean sound their alarms and search high and (very) low for the octopus they need in their lives and coral garden. Steve the Swordfish is the first to find him, finally!, but he’s trapped in a strong, impenetrable cage. 

Well, impenetrable for most.

Sherri the Shrimp rides in on a seahorse, and she might as well be wearing a cape. While the swordfish has an impressive saw-like nose and the crustaceans have powerful pincers, it’s the littlest one who swims in to save the day.

How many kids feel like they’re too small to make a difference? From an early age, it’s clear to our little people that there are benefits to being big. Stepping over baby gates, reaching counters, retrieving snacks—what is it that big people can’t do? Children could always benefit from a dedicated conversation about how little people can make big differences too. They may not look like the same differences, but they can be even bigger, impacting an entire community. There are so many topics to discuss with our children, and Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day is a fun, ocean-friendly excuse to tell them you believe in them despite their size.

In addition to being relatable to their everyday concerns, this book is a eye-catching, story-told science lesson too! It can be difficult as a little one to really grasp the size of sea animals, especially the small ones. With art like this and what Sherri does to save the day will teach your little kid that those sea creatures they see as stuffed animals and cartoons can be about as minuscule as they come. Sometimes it takes a human item, like a lock, to help them picture how small they really are.

If you’re reading this book for the first time, the images of the cage and the panic from the characters may make you nervous. It is a pretty intimidating topic to cover with little kids—that humans catch sea creatures and take them away from their communities, often for them to eat—so this is a conversation you should be aware of going in. One of the only drawbacks for me here is the illustration of Farrah, a kissy-face, big-lipped, fake eyebrow-donning romantic interest. Overall, the illustrations are strong and add great value to the story, but the Farrah character left me wanting.

Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day will be an enjoyable read for your kid, especially if they have something to learn about feeling small and inconsequential. If there’s a better role model than this infinitesimal shrimp who saves an octopus’s life, show me.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day by George J. Linsenmeyer! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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