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Christopher Proudfoot's book series

Emotion in the Ocean

Children's stories where aquatic adventures help young readers explore big feelings, celebrate differences, and understand the world around them.

Cover of Ria: The Anxious Hermit Crab by Christopher Proudfoot, illustrated by Martha Ives

Published book

Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab

Written by Christopher Proudfoot · Illustrated by Martha Ives

Ria is a little hermit crab with a lot of worries. Her warm-hearted journey explores what it can feel like to hide away—and how small steps, kindness, and courage can help us experience the world beyond our shell.

Themes to explore

  • Anxiety and worries
  • Confidence
  • Kindness
  • Belonging
  • Trying something new

Start a conversation

What helps you feel brave when something seems new or uncertain? Who could you talk to when a worry feels too big to carry alone?

Ask Christopher about Ria

Local businesses, lasting stories

Sponsor a print run for a local primary school, with your business recognised inside the cover and a full-day author visit included. Sponsorship starts at £440 for 50 copies. You can also join with another business or become a Story Partner for a future title.

Sponsor a Print Run

From the ocean to the bookshelf

Ria out in the world

It is always special to see Ria finding a place in bookshops—especially alongside stories that encourage children's curiosity, empathy, and love of the ocean.

Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab featured on a local-author bookshop display
Featured in a local-author display
Copies of Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab displayed on a children’s bookshop shelf
Finding a home on the children's shelves
Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab displayed alongside ocean-themed children’s books
Alongside other ocean-inspired discoveries
Copies of Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab in an outdoor display beside a bright pink shop doorway
Greeting readers outside a local shop

Behind the stories

Currently working on

New aquatic adventures currently taking shape. Cover artwork will be added as each story develops.

Cover of Tuftsie the Little Octopus

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Tuftsie the Little Octopus

A story about celebrating differences and promoting self-confidence.

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Mira the Blue Stripe Snapper

A story about understanding neurodivergence.
Cover of Kuda the Seahorse

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Kuda the Seahorse

A story about loss and grief.

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Ceros the Last Ammonite

A story about loneliness and isolation.

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Max the Basking Shark

A story about understanding migration.

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Dimi and the Plastic Problem

A story about plastic pollution.
Cover of Elia the Jellyfish

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Elia the Jellyfish

A story about friendship and helping each other.

Emotion in the Ocean · Work in progress

Tavi the Lost Terrapin

A story about uncertainty, belonging, and finding a safe place to call home.
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Meet the inspiration

Animals behind the stories

Real habitats and remarkable behaviours can provide the first spark for a character, theme, or adventure.

Martha’s illustration of a hermit crab in a green-striped shell

Hermit crabs

Where they live
Coastal waters, rock pools, reefs, and shorelines
Remarkable behaviour
Hermit crabs protect their soft bodies by living in empty shells and moving into a better-fitting home as they grow.
Story spark
Their search for the right shell can inspire stories about change, courage, belonging, and finding a place where you feel safe.

A hermit crab inspired Ria and her journey towards confidence in Ria the Anxious Hermit Crab.

Martha’s illustration of a green sea turtle swimming

Green sea turtles

Where they live
Warm coastal waters, seagrass meadows, and tropical and subtropical seas
Remarkable behaviour
Green sea turtles travel long distances between feeding areas and nesting beaches, navigating an enormous ocean throughout their lives.
Story spark
Their journeys can inspire stories about resilience, home, environmental responsibility, and protecting the habitats animals depend upon.

Christopher’s interest in sea turtles offers a starting point for future aquatic characters and conservation-led stories.

Illustrated by Martha Ives

Expressive aquatic characters help turn real animals and big feelings into a world that young readers can explore.

Martha Ives’s illustration of Ria the hermit crab smiling happily
Ria feeling happy and ready for an adventure
Martha Ives’s illustration of Ria carrying bottles of worries in her shell
Ria carrying the worries that weigh on her shell
Martha Ives’s colourful illustration of a butterfly fish
A bright butterfly fish character
Martha Ives’s illustration of a striped zebra angelfish
A beautifully patterned zebra angelfish