Serge the Snail Without a Shell

After Serge, the slug, was made fun of at school for being a slug, he went to his mother to be consoled but was very disappointed when she told him that he was a slug. A slug is just a snail without a shell. After talking to his friend fish, Serge decided to set out and go to the ocean to find a shell for himself.

He found many, many shells. There were a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours. None looked quite right until he saw a bright, shiny one with a curlicued roof. He tried it on, but it didn’t feel right. Serge came to the conclusion that he felt right just being himself.

The text is written in rhyming couplet format with many examples of figurative language. Dotted, spotted, inky-blotted; knobbly, knotted; and wiggled and squiggled are some.

The full-page, full-colour illustrations support the text. The cartoon format is whimsical with lots of colour. Especially beautiful is the two page illustration of the many varieties of shells which have been drawn with many realistic details.

Teachers/caregivers can use Serge the Snail Without a Shell to learn more about snails, slugs, and shells. It is also a good story to show the importance of being oneself and the journey it may take to get there.

Small children will enjoy reading or having Serge the Snail Without a Shell read to them.