Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day

by George J. Linsenmeyer, III, Carolyn Hampton (illustrator)

Octavius the Octopus has gone missing . . . where could he be?!

When Octavius the Octopus is found trapped in a cage at the bottom of the ocean, his friends are all determined to get him out. But his rescue turns out to be a difficult task . . . until Sherri the Shrimp shows up!

Read along for a tale about friendship, determination, and how sometimes, even the smallest of us can be the mightiest!

24 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2024

Reviews

[Shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that there was a really good idea here, but it very much fell short for me. However, there was only one thing that I really disliked about this book. What made it such a big deal to me was that it was a persistent issue throughout the entire book. This problem was the writing. The rhyming was spotty, and didn't make sense where it was used. With a children's book, you either rhyme consistently or don't rhyme at all. Both work, but it definitely takes a lot away from the story when you are somewhere between the two. Another thing I didn't like about the writing was the word choices. I think that a lot of the words/expressions/phrases that are used in this book will confuse young readers and detract from the story with a crucial message. This message was that teamwork is important, and everyone has their own unique strengths. I really wish I could have focused mostly on that premise without being confused by the way it was delivered. Lastly, the illustrations were soft yet still accurately captured the beauty of the ocean, and the plot was well-organized and cohesive.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley


A fun and colorful children’s book about the importance of teamwork and perseverance when a challenge arises. I read this to my preemie daughter currently in the NICU and loved the message that sometimes the smallest one is the mightiest

[Feathered Quill Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day, by George J. Linsenmeyer, is the heartwarming story of a determined little shrimp who proves that even if you’re small, you can still make a big difference.

Our story begins in the deep blue ocean, as Kevin the Crab finds himself discouraged because he cannot find his friend Octavius the Octopus anywhere. With the help of Larry the Lobster, the two friends set out on a mission to find their missing friend Octavius. They have no luck locating him, and pretty soon, the entire ocean has joined in the search.

Steve the Swordfish appears and quickly tells everyone that he has found Octavius, and that they must get to him right away. All of the ocean animals are surprised to see their friend Octavius trapped in a cage. The friends don’t waste any time in trying to break him out. First, Steve the Swordfish saws at the cage bars with no success. Next, Larry the Lobster claws at the cage bars, but the bars do not budge. Kevin the Crab then tries to squeeze the bars with his powerful pinchers, but it does not work. Sam the Seahorse then claims that he has a plan to bring help to free Octavius, so he races away. When he returns hours later, the friends see that he has Sherri the Shrimp with him. Sherri is the smallest of everyone, and all her bigger, stronger friends have tried and failed to free Octavius. Will Sherri be able to save poor Octavius from the clutches of the cage?

With all of its adorable sea characters, Linsenmeyer has written a charming children’s book that young kids are sure to enjoy. It was especially catchy how Linsenmeyer used alliteration to name each creature in the story. Not only is the story a fun read, but it also teaches kids how to distinguish between various sea creatures, as well as their differing characteristics that makes each one unique.

Parents will love this story for its messages of perseverance and teamwork, as the friends first all work together to find Octavius and then, work together to try to free him from the cage. This book also provides a valuable lesson for young readers, particularly those who might be smaller than their friends. Rather than allowing this to be a hindrance, kids will learn from Sherri the Shrimp that even the smallest of creatures can be a hero and save the day!

Quill says: With its endearing characters and vivid, entertaining illustrations, Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day will be loved by both beginning readers and their parents alike.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this story is cute. The friendship of the underwater sea creatures is a great example for kids - and how they all came to the rescue of one of their friends by working together and finding the creature with the right talent to meet the need. The illustrations are gorgeous - I loved the watercolor nature of the designs to match the theme of an underwater/sea creature story. There are some illustrations that are more simplistic in nature - not adding a ton of additional detail to the story, but overall they at least support the part of the story that is on the respective page.

There were a few things with this one that I struggled with when thinking about what works in children's books for my kids. There were a few areas of inconsistency. First, on the second page of the story, there is a misspelling of Farrah/Farah in the text as compared to the illustration. As I was reading through the story, there were multiple times that I got hung up on the rhyming/pacing - there were places that seemed to have quite a bit of rhyming and other sections that didn't rhyme at all and I could never get into a consistent cadence/pace when reading. Additionally, there are borderline too many words on some of the pages. For kids with shorter attention spans, the illustrations might not provide enough engagement to keep them tuned in to the story on each page.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent, quick read, for decent quick youngsters, with an octopus going missing from the underwater neighbourhood and all his friends with their alliterative names going hunting for him. But when they find him, they're still no better off… The moral is obvious when you find out the situation and what is needed to get the critters out of it. Talent-wise, we have pretty decent visuals, that certainly make a strong character of relevant aquatic animals, and as regards the text – well, it's not bad, but it does drift into using a lot of internal rhymes – it clearly wants to be a narrative verse but can't quite achieve it, and it's almost annoying when you see how often it tries. I wouldn't rush to buy it, but nobody could object to seeing this on a library shelf or special offer – three and a half stars.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is such a cute little book. The illustrations were also a beautiful sight. The colors and how vibrant it was was just amazing. I loved the little story. They were trying to find their lost friend and they all took turns trying to help their friend out of this cage and they just could not do it. There is teamwork involved just finding this friend who they can't find. But one little hero comes to their rescue. Proving that size and strength doesn't always matter. Their smallest friend Sherri the Shrimp helped with the rescue.

[Chelsea May xxx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to net gallery and the publisher for this arc copy. This was such a quick read but my children absolutely loved this book and I will definitely be buying a copy of the book. The illustrations in this book were so so beautiful and the meaning behind the story was such a great meaning about how friends can work together and can help people out. I just wish this book was a bit longer so we could have more time with the characters in this wonderful book. The author did a lovely job on this book. Xxx

[Little Bitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherri the Shrimp Saves the Day follows a group of friends trying to rescue their friend. It shows how teamwork and the talents of all are important, even if you happen to the the smallest. The illustrations are very cute and the page count is good for keeping kids engaged.

Thanks to Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

[Raychelle Legendre · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I picked this story because I live in Louisiana and love to find cute stories that include shrimp or crabs.
This was not our favorite story. It felt like the story was meant for a more mature audience than children.

[Beth Cardiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with a good message. Love the illustrations. Read it w my 9yo and we both liked it, but thought it was worded kind of weird for a children’s book.