The Hermit Crab Shuffle Is a Tale Years in the Making
In 2004, my first grandchild was born in the high mountains of Colorado far away from the Florida Keys where two of my three children were born and all spent their early years. Just prior to Hayden’s premature birth, I lost what I thought had been the perfect job for me. As a result, I offered to provide child care for this beautiful little boy whose lung health was initially precarious.
Though thrilled by my interactions with him, I was still lost and sad about losing my previous job. In a moment of divine inspiration, I decided to take some writing classes and make some lemonade from the lemons of my professional life as I reveled in the reality of grandparenthood.
Not long after, the seed for this story of the Hermit Crab Shuffle began to germinate. My children, my daughter Cheri in particular, had loved the hermit crabs they would find in the environment that surrounded our home in base-housing for the Naval Air Station in Key West Florida, where my Navy pilot husband was stationed. Who knew when Hayden would experience such marine-inspired bliss?
Researching the sea life, and specifically hermit crabs, I found that they have this amazing ability to signal each other to gather together to swap shells. Since their bodies are so soft, switching shells is a perilous task made safer by speed and certainty. Hence the story of the “shuffle” materialized.
A Children’s Book Is More Than Words
The words came easily but a children’s book needs illustrations. The artistic talents of my mother skipped a generation, landing in my daughter. Cheri had already graduated with a degree in art and certification in scientific illustration. I asked her to illustrate the book. She gave it a shot back in 2006, but said her characters were too scary for small children.
Disappointed, I looked elsewhere for illustrators as I also wrote other books for adults and edited the works of other authors.
In 2011, Cheri had her daughter Aila and after an appropriate amount of time getting children’s books for her, I asked Cheri again to illustrate my book following a disappointing two-year wait for an illustrator who was talented but just didn’t work out. Cheri demurred once more.
More illustrators came; some of whom illustrators flaked out. None were right. My frustration grew. Then Cheri began teaching art to children at the home-school academy her daughter attended. I asked again. Actually I begged her this time. PLEASE illustrate this book before Hayden is an adult!
Finally She Said Yes!
For more than a year Cheri sketched, story-boarded, and then painted a dozen two-page watercolor spreads for the illustrations that became the book.
With the amazing technology of digital imaging, those watercolors were transformed by Gray Dog Press into the vibrant pages of this book.
I’m so proud of the artistic flair Cheri has added to this story, not just as the author but as her mom too. It’s been a great experience working with my daughter to bring to life a book that represents a turning point in my life.
I’m glad it’s finally finished.