This is a beautiful picture book with a great life lesson.
* The book is about snails on a cabbage, and one snail tells his father that he wished to have the biggest house in the world, to which his father responds that he also wished that when he was young, and he told his son the story that his father told him. In the story a young snail learns to make his shell bigger, and bigger, and eventual how to make it grow horns, and color. Eventually, his house got so big that he couldn't move. The moral, which the young snail learned, was to appreciate what you have, and that sometimes smaller is better. In this case, his smaller shell/home afforded him extra freedom to roam where he pleased, and he looked at everything with a new-found appreciation. ( )

I liked this as a kid, but seriously, it also reads as, "If you get above yourself, or try to have really nice things, you'll die and fade to nothing." Oy. ( )

A young snail dreams of having the biggest house—or shell—in the world. Then one day, his wise father tells him the story of another snail with the same dream. He grew and grew, adding bright colors and beautiful designs, until he found that his house came at a terrible cost. The young snail decides that a small, easy-to-carry shell might be best for a life of adventure and exploration.

colorful language. I think it can be used for mentor text in sensory details. ( )

A good moral story, great for plot and prediction. You can use this to ask the students what the authors purpose was for writing this book.