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40 pp.
| Princeton
| April, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-61689-801-4$17.95
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Delphine Renon.
Crocodile Fossil loves everything about the beach...except the part about swimming. Following some coaxing from his animal friends, the quiet croc faces his fear, creating a not-so-quiet "SPLASSSHHH." As in The Quiet Crocodile, there's not much story here; the book's calling card is the meticulous art in which critters use the croc's back as a climbing structure.
32 pp.
| Roaring Brook
| May, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-250-19844-0$16.99
(2)
K-3
In this wacky, fact-packed addition to the Truth About series, straightforward informational prose provides a crash course on crocodile types, diet, reproduction, habitat, and more. The cartoonlike pen-and-ink illustrations tell their own story. Crocs and other creatures--including a party hat–wearing kid--are shown with speech bubbles in silly fictionalized scenarios, often cracking jokes about the factual content as they plan a birthday party for the child and newly hatched baby crocodiles. Reading list.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2019
32 pp.
| Owlkids
| March, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-77147-344-6$17.95
(2)
K-3
This book's Little Doctor, like Steig's Doctor De Soto before her, provides medical care to potentially dangerous animals. The little girl administers medicine, provides tail splints, etc., and the gentle crocodile patients pay her with stories. So far, so sweet--but there is underlying tension, involving teeth and jaws and plastic debris. Watercolor illustrations, rich in detail and in texture, give the dreamy narrative (with an environmentalist reminder) its energy.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2019
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7538-7$16.99
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Satoshi Kitamura.
In sly, understated text, Jenkins discusses crocodiles' teeth, predatory behavior, the care females give their hatchlings, etc. Related details appear in smaller type on many pages, while an appended note adds information about habitats and classification. Kitamura's mixed-media illustrations include a bit of whimsy in extratextual features, such as a nattily dressed crocodile scanning a restaurant menu of favored prey in the back matter. Websites. Ind.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2019
(2)
PS
Tortoise Shelly and Rabbit are skeptical of Mouse's shortcut through the "creepy, crooked creek": "Isn't that where the crocodiles live?" Self-assured Mouse states, "I've NEVER seen a crocodile in the creepy, crooked creek." Easy-to-parse double-page spreads humorously reveal what the text initially doesn't: the critters have been surrounded by "sneaky, snappy crocodiles" the whole time (even temporarily inside one's mouth). Lambert uses alliteration, rhyme, and repetition to great read-aloud effect.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2019
40 pp.
| Chronicle
| August, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4521-7028-2$16.99
(3)
PS
"I really don't want to... / but I have to," thinks a crocodile heading for his dentist's office; "I really don't want to, but I have to," thinks the dentist, readying his instruments for the croc. Likewise identical thoughts ("I'm ready for the worst!" and so on) form this comically clever appeal to consider others' feelings. Gomi's doughy-looking cartoonish illustrations are toothsome throughout.
(4)
K-3
Splat the Cat thinks he's getting a new sibling and is shocked when his mom instead brings home a baby crocodile. After learning that his family is temporarily watching Urgle, Splat devotes himself to being a great "big brother," helping care for the cute croc. While the story is slight, endearingly goofy illustrations featuring the perpetually manic-looking Splat provide plenty of laughs.
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Delphine Renon.
"Fossil, the crocodile, loves the quiet" and "likes to be alone." Too bad for him, then, that with the turn of each page, more of his animal friends climb onto his back until he finally loosens up. And that's all there is to it. The slight story's selling point is its fastidious, fine-lined art, which features critters in spiffy attire.
(4)
K-3
Lightning Bolt Books: Baby Australian Animals series.
This book begins with a mother crocodile building a nest and laying eggs. The babies hatch, and in four brief chapters, readers learn about crocodiles' growth and development, behaviors, diet, and physical characteristics, ending with a simple life cycle diagram. Clear photographs help illustrate the somewhat choppy and superficial text. "Habitat in Focus" and "Fun Facts" sections are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
(3)
K-3
Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick.
After a man accuses a boy (presumably his son) of crying crocodile tears, the boy wants the phrase unpacked. The man's amusingly roundabout explanation, featuring modest little scenes that could belong in the Nutshell Library, begins with instructions for catching a crocodile: one needs "a LONG WOODEN BOX" (pointedly conjured by the horizontal book's long, narrow shape) and "a boat bound for Egypt."
74 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-4822-0$16.99
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Brian Floca.
Princess Cora longs for a dog. The grownups say no, but her fairy godmother delivers a pet--a crocodile--who takes the girl's place (wearing Cora's dress and a wig) when she needs a break. Seven spry chapters detail Cora's much-needed day off and the crocodile's humorous attempts to impersonate her. Copious ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations are witty in their execution.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2017
32 pp.
| Little Bee
| August, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4998-0633-5$16.99
(4)
PS
In this interactive picture book, mustachioed crocodile artist Crocodali encourages readers to tilt, turn, shake, and blow to help create a masterpiece. Although not as imaginative or successful as Hervé Tullet's creations, the short length, bright primary colors, and slightly grumpy narrator make this an enticing read-aloud. Crisp white space and pleasing compositions make up for occasionally awkward page-turn transitions.
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Susan Detwiler.
Photographs by Brady Barr, Jessica Rosnick, and Mario Aldecoa. This accessible diary, in English with occasional Spanish words and translations, gives a fictionalized account of schoolchildren's hands-on study of American crocodiles in Costa Rica. Alexa records the progress of a baby croc from its hatching to its release in the wild. Page design is haphazard, but realistic drawings and photographs lend a you-are-there feel; back matter provides more information about crocs and conservation.
56 pp.
| Enchanted Lion
| April, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-59270-192-6$18.95
(4)
K-3
Translated by Sarah Klinger.
A crocodile cares for what he thinks is an abandoned baby croc. When he realizes the baby is actually a young child in armor, fear takes hold and the two part ways, despite their fondness for each other. This quirky book is not without charm, but the bittersweet message may not resonate with a picture-book audience. The detailed crosshatch illustrations, however, will.
24 pp.
| Child's
| January, 2016
|
LibraryISBN 978-1634074490$18.95
(4)
4-6
On the Hunt with Animal Predators series.
These slight books present basic information about reptiles of tropical swamps and grasslands. Characteristics of each species are recounted including their habitats, social behaviors, food sources, and nurturing of offspring. The simply written narratives are interesting but may be inadequate for some report-driven readers. Large colorful photographs accompany the texts. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these On the Hunt with Animal Predators titles: On the Hunt with Black Mambas, On the Hunt with Crocodiles, and On the Hunt qwith Komodo Dragons.
32 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-8104-3$16.99
(2)
K-3
Adventurous Anna, with her more cautious friend Crocodile, concocts a plan to "FIND GOLD." Throughout, Schwarz's pencil, crayon, and watercolor illustrations adopt a childlike style. They're at their finest in a pair of wordless spreads that show Anna and Crocodile diving down to a shipwreck; these rich, detailed illustrations stand in contrast with other text-heavy spreads of humorous dialogue between the friends.
(4)
K-3
Zoom In on Swamp Animals series.
These basic introductions to various swamp reptiles and amphibians offer cursory facts about appearance, habitat, food, and life cycle. Simple (if choppy) texts for emergent readers are adequately reflected in the accompanying photos. The appended "Quick Stats" sections offer oddly conceived size comparisons (e.g., "a newt is longer than a baseball" and "lighter than a deck of cards"). Glos., ind. Review includes these Zoom In on Swamp Animals titles: Alligators, Crocodiles, Newts, and Salamanders.
(3)
K-3
In this follow-up to Dangerous!, label-loving Mole and his crocodile friend, the Lumpy-Bumpy Thing, discover a magician's hat and wand pre-labeled with the titular warning. The Lumpy-Bumpy Thing wears the magic hat anyway, generating a rabbit surplus the two friends must rectify. Loose, comic illustrations capture the wonderfully expressive characters. The labels, both nouns and adjectives, playfully explore vocabulary and add humor without pigeon-holing.
(3)
K-3
First Facts: Predator Profiles series.
Short two- or three-paragraph chapters accompanied by large, pertinent color photos clearly explain the concepts of predator and prey. The text focuses on the crocodile's hunting style: discussing the kinds of prey it seeks, the creature's size, speed, physical attributes, defenses against counterattack, and strategy. Fact sidebars and same-page vocabulary definitions are helpful design elements. Reading list. Glos., ind.
32 pp.
| Tradewind
| November, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-1-926890-04-3$16.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Rae Maté.
The Crocs are hard at work...sort of. Each gag spotlights crocodiles doing a job ("Crocs guarantee they'll never fail, / delivering each piece of mail") and then abdicating ("And, to make their work more fun... / Crocs hide the mail from everyone!"). Each punch line will surprise and please readers. Bold, brushstroke-heavy art celebrates the harmless misbehavior.