one crocodile, two crocodile, three crocodile

Now that Chance the Snapper, that wily Chicago alligator, has been captured, it seems the perfect time to unleash a trio of snappy crocodile books that emerged this year! Treat yourself to some toothy treats!

Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast, written and illustrated by Sophie Gilmore
published in 2019 by Owlkids Books

Little Doctor is a young gal sporting a white lab coat whose gentleness and medical savvy have made her the healer of choice for creatures hither and yon. She is especially popular with the croc population.

The biggest of them all, Big Mean, has come today with a particularly pesky problem. But her mouth is clamped shut, and when Little Doctor tries to take her temperature, Big Mean becomes extra prickly! Extra mean! Can Little Doctor figure a way around this toothy dilemma?

Gilmore’s charming, peppery tale is marvelously enhanced by her enchanting watercolor illustrations, swimming in crocodile green, and Little Doctor’s surprising discovery carries a clever green message. Such an especially good book! Share it with ages 3 and up!

Beware of the Crocodile, written by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura
published in 2019 by Candlewick Press

If you’re ever tempted to think that non-fiction has to be dry as sawdust, just give this remarkably zesty introduction to crocodiles a whirl! Martin Jenkins’ approach to his subject sings with curiosity, surprise, sparkle, and a dash of humor!

Discover what crocs like to eat and how they go about snapping it up! So fearsome!

Then think about how gentle those mama crocs are with their young ‘uns. So improbable!

All illustrated in bold, lumptuous, snaggle-toothed glory, with a splash more information in the end pages. Fabulous, for ages 4 and up!

The Truth About Crocodiles, written and illustrated by Maxwell Eaton III
published in 2019 by Roaring Brook Press

Eaton’s perky, humorous, informative series continues with this intro to all things crocodilian.

With his punchy, clear, kid-friendly illustrations, and gobs of gabby speech bubbles, Eaton grabs our attention, entertains us, and loads us up with cool facts about crocs, gators, and gharials. This includes a startling penchant for tasty humans, one vigorous lunge at the child star of our book, and a much more detailed description of a croc’s munching methodology —  so just beware with timid kids!

If you’ve had your fill of crocodiles, you might reach for other books in Eaton’s dynamite series exploring the truth about hippos, bears, dolphins, or elephants. Ages 5 and up.