Beautifully illustrated and very informative! I actually didn’t know how lobsters were born and it’s fascinating. This would be a great one to add to marine curriculum in any school.

So, this book was a bit boring. Especially for a book intended for young readers. A lot of the writing felt like it could have come right out of a textbook. No kid wants to read something that dull (before they have to), even if lobsters are totally their thing. I think, in order to fix this, creating a whimsical story to go with the information would be highly beneficial. It'll help keep readers engaged while still maintaining the educational value that the author wants. However, I really liked the illustrations! They were very impressive, beautiful, and realistic all at once. Major kudos to the illustratror. Additionally, I do give credit to the author for deciding to write a book about an animal that's often overlooked, even if the execution could use a little fine-tuning.

Off the coast of Maine, in the North Atlantic Ocean, a little lobster’s journey to motherhood begins. While crawling and gliding along the ocean floor, affixed under her tail are thousands of eggs. For ten to eleven months the mother lobster keeps her eggs clean and safe. Hungry from this arduous labor, she unwittingly ends up in a lobsterman’s trap. Although pleased with the size of his catch, the lobster fisherman realizes that this is an egger, or a carrier of eggs, and by law must release her. By putting her back in the water, he promotes the protection and future of the lobster population. The mother lobster continues her journey and, with her eggs ready to hatch, she releases them, and thousands of baby lobsters stream out from underneath her tail shedding their casing and floating to the surface. Though only a few will survive, the new lobsters now start their own journey to continue the cycle of life. This colorful, watercolor-filled, nonfiction text showcasing the beauty of ocean life is both informative and a delight to look through. Highly recommended for young readers’ classrooms and libraries! A notable dedication written by the late author’s wife prefaces the book. In addition, a factual history of lobsters in the United States and helpful glossary are included in the back of the book.

This was a GREAT informative book about the life cycle of a lobster. My children and I both learned so much about lobsters in this beautifully illustrated children's book.

Netgalley ARC - This is a fantastic non-fiction picture book showing us the life cycle of lobsters! Its beautifully illustrated and the information is easy to understand. I liked the inclusion of the lobster fisherman and showing how lobsters with eggs are returned to the water.

The Little Lobster is absolutely gorgeous! Filled with factual lobster information and illustrated in a beautiful watercolor style, this book will entice young readers (and this older one) to keep reading and learn about these amazing creatures. I enjoyed learning about the life cycle of a lobster and how long it takes to reach adulthood-and all the stages in between. Wow! Great read!

Learn along with others as you read this story aloud and show the marvelous growth of the lobster in its natural home habitat. There is an important glossary at the end.
The illustrations by Estelle Corke are imaginative, delightfully colorful, important to our understanding!
Well suited for reading WITH someone any age from 8 and up, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected eGalley on NetGalley Reader from Star Bright Books via NetGalley. Pub Date May 13, 2025
#NetGalley #childrensbookillustration #childrensbook #picturebooks #kidlitart #kidlit #drawingsforkids #Illustrated @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @kobo @childrensbookcouncil #TheLittleLobster by W. Thomas Hotz with @estelle_corke_illustration @starbrightbooks #lobster#watercolor#watercolourpainting #childrensbookillustration #learning #childrensfactbooks #childrensnonfiction #childrensnonfictionpicturebook #underthesea #illustrationforkids #illustrationforchildrensbooks #loosewatercolor #kidsreads #readaloud #lifecycle #naturalhabitat

This little book is jam packed with information! My 6 year old has always been curious about lobsters, and was asking questions and engaging with every page of this book. Not only is the imagery in this children’s book artistic and beautiful, the author and illustrator have also included diagrams and informational graphics to further elaborate on parts of the story. This would go great with any kind of k-4 marine biology unit!

As always, thank you to NetGalley for this wonderful ARC, and to the author W. Thomas Hotz, Estelle Corke for her beautiful artistry, as well as the publisher, Star Bright Books.

Be sure to add this to your child’s library on May 13th!

I was immediately attracted to The Little Lobster because of the beautiful watercolor illustration on the front. Throughout the book, the art is the focus of the story. This informative fictional story tells us about a female lobster carrying her precious egg cargo, keeping the eggs safe until they hatch. We learn terms describing the parts of a lobster, and the stages of growth each new lobster goes through to become adults.

The facts are interesting, especially when paired with the story which draws on the reader's empathy. The blending of story format and nonfiction format is too subtle however, and needs more distinction between the two. Using soft yet noticeably separate and different nonfiction formatting would greatly help the reader separate the two distinct purposes of the book.

The book was beautifully written. Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

cThe Little Lobster by W. Thomas Hotz is a beautifully illustrated children's book about the life of a lobster. It starts out talking about the lobsters as eggs and how the mother carries and cares for the eggs, then the story moves on to talking about how the little lobsters grow and develop. This book is perfect for children who want to learn about lobsters. Even as an adult, I learned some facts that I did not know. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to get a print copy to share with my children. They love lobsters and will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and they publisher for a digital ARC of this book. Receiving this copy did not impact my opinion of the book. I spent a couple of years living in Maine, and love lobster, This books is both beautiful and informative. I would highly recommend this book.