Tip Tap Went the Crab

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

“Worlds can be found by a child and an adult bending down and looking together under the grass stems or at the skittering crabs in a tidal pool.”

— Mary Catherine Bateson

Last week, my big kids and I stayed in a fantastic apartment right on the seafront at Westward Ho!, North Devon.

(I love the fact it has an exclamation mark in its name!) From the balcony, we could see (and hear) the waves crashing at high tide. At low tide, oystercatchers, turnstones and the occasional little egret could be seen hunting in the weedy rock pools. Each day I joined them, and it reminded me of many happy hours rock pooling. 

 

Little egret | © 2020 by Tim Warnes

 

The rock pools also reminded me of the picture book, Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood.

It’s a counting book; and like Cockatoos by Quentin Blake, it has a story, too. 

 

Once there was a crab who lived under a stone in a little rock pool.

The pool was beautiful. It was full of colourful shells, strange-looking plants and tiny sea creatures.

 

Hopgood’s crab is simply adorable!

But she is tired of life in her rock pool - so one day, she goes off for a sideways walk...

And in a very natural way that flows beautifully, Hopgood introduces the counting element:

 

Tip-tap went the crab, past one noisy seagull standing on a rock.

 

(Repeating a phrase - in this case, Tip-tap went the crab - is always a hit with small kids, so is a commonly used device. And it’s an important one too. Why? Because it empowers children by encouraging them to join in - and read-along! No wonder Nursery Education Plus described Tip Tap as an ‘excellent interactive book.’)

And so the little crab continues on her way, tip-tapping across the beach and through the book. Past sleepy sea lions, pointy starfish, dancing jellyfish and fluttering seahorses.

Hopgood’s art is stylish and full of energy. He trained in graphic design and once worked for magazines such as iD and Vogue. Perhaps that’s why his art looks so bold and self-assured? Nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal, Hopgood’s illustrations (digital collages) are full of detail and texture, yet retain a (deceptively) simple charm.

 

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

 Aside from the juicy art, there are a few things to point out that elevates this simple story above the crowd. 

1. Hopgood’s text may be sparse, but his use of language is lovely.

For example: ‘fluttering seahorses that floated through the reeds’ and a shoal of fish that ‘swished left and then right.’

 

2. Hopgood uses the counting element to guide - rather than rule - the pacing of the book.

How? By interrupting the counting element with sections of straightforward narrative. Meaning we are spared the monotony of a mere counting book - and get a more satisfying read.

For example: after numbers 1 to 3, Hopgood breaks the pace:

Tip-tap splash! Went the crab, sideways into the big blue sea. The little crab stopped to look all around.

The counting element is then reintroduced with each new discovery of the crab’s.

 

3. It is educational.

At the start, we are told: Crabs have 10 legs - 8 back legs and 2 more a the front that have grasping claws, called pincers. OUCH!

In more subtle ways, kids learn that:

Crabs walk sideways (in and out of water).

The bottom of the sea is cool and dark (with hidden treasure troves!).

All kinds of amazing creatures inhabit the ocean!

 

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

 

I love the extra twist at the end of the story: it turns out that the little crab is a mummy crab - with ten tiny babies!

You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be delighted by how adorable they are, each carrying a piece of loot from the treasure chest back home.

 

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

 

Allowing kids to count to 10 again in search of the gold coins, now hidden in the crabs’ rock pool!

Why Tip Tap Went the Crab is Good to Read

It’s a fun introduction to numbers and life in the ocean.

It will instil curiosity and wonder.

Perfect for preschoolers!

(So basically, an irresistible opportunity to snuggle up and coo over cute crustaceans!)

 

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

 Good to Read

Beach-themed picture books

The Storm Whale by Benji Davies

Don’t Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood

Sally and the Limpet by Simon James

 

Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) | © 2010 by Tim Hopgood

Sources AZQuotes.com Tip Tap Went the Crab by Tim Hopgood (Macmillan 2010) © 2020 BY TIM WARNES (UNLESS OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTED)****USE OF THIRD PARTY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL FALLS UNDER FAIR USE/FAIR DEALING PRACTICE.