A Crocodile Should Never Skip Breakfast

April 1, 2024
A hungry crocodile tries to push through till lunch but may have to nibble on a customer or two. Croc works as a river ferry. Various animal passengers sit on his back as he shuttles them down the waterway. One morning when Croc oversleeps, he has to forgo his usual bowl of Snappy Snacks. Frantic showering and tooth brushing ("Can't / GURGLE / be / GARGLE / late / BLURG") take precedence. He can't even grab his favorite doughnuts on the way to work, because the Hippo Hut is all sold out! As animals climb aboard, Croc can't help envisioning them as tasty snacks. The tension grows as Croc licks his lips, imagining a delectable meal of capybaras and a warthog hot dog. With eyes squeezed tight and fingers clamped around his jaws, he's trying with all his might to resist. Just when Croc can't take it anymore, a sweet friend with an even sweeter treat saves the day. Told mostly in speech bubbles, with a sassy unseen narrator who breaks in every once in a while, the story skips along at a fast clip but also leaves room for many dramatic pauses to heighten the effect. Larmour relies on a fanciful color scheme--dominated by pinks, greens, and blues--that keeps the tale from becoming scary, no matter how ravenous Croc gets. A lively reminder about the most important meal of the day. (Picture book. 3-6)

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May 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-Perhaps everyone has had that morning-there's no time for breakfast. So begins Crocodile's day. Hippo's donut shop is sold out. The breakfast spread at work? Already eaten by coworker Boa Constrictor. Crocodile is off to work on the ferry on an empty stomach and so famished he begins daydreaming about eating his passengers. Recognizing this would be wrong, Crocodile concentrates on donuts. As a result, he fails to notice Hippo running along the river's edge, attempting to get his attention. Suddenly Hippo is beside Crocodile yelling, "DONUTS!" Crocodile dumps his passengers in surprise. Together, the friends float on their backs and eat. Larmour's gouache illustrations are vibrant with Crocodile in blue, Hippo in pink, and other animals their natural colors. The river is a contrasting green. The text is a combination of speech bubbles and narration. This is a great opportunity to create different voices for the characters. Crocodile's cautionary tale could be used for various story-hour themes or one on one. Not to be taken as a serious endorsement of donuts, but rather a reinforcement to eat breakfast. VERDICT A humorous addition, though not an essential purchase, to picture book collections.-Sarah Sieg

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2024
Croc, who works as the local river ferry for other animals in the jungle, is running late one morning and doesn't have time for his usual bowl of Snappy Snacks cereal. Backup plans fall through: all of the doughnuts at Hippo's stand are sold out; his emergency banana falls in the mud. When he finally begins his shift with an empty belly, Croc discovers a new problem: his animal passengers look delicious. Larmour's lighthearted text uses repetition and occasional direct address ("Told you"), with entertaining dialogue shown in word balloons. Thought bubbles enhance the humor, such as when Croc envisions his passengers in meal form (e.g., a warthog hot dog). The illustrations, in bold gouache hues finished digitally, also provide various comedic pauses, as when Croc's hunger hits a fever pitch and a shower of doughnut sprinkles rains down before his wide, intense eyes. Croc's feelings are palpable, including relief when a friend swoops in just in time. A fast-paced, comical reminder that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Lindsay Bayer

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Croc, who works as the local river ferry for other animals in the jungle, is running late one morning and doesn't have time for his usual bowl of Snappy Snacks cereal. Backup plans fall through: all of the doughnuts at Hippo's stand are sold out; his emergency banana falls in the mud. When he finally begins his shift with an empty belly, Croc discovers a new problem: his animal passengers look delicious. Larmour's lighthearted text uses repetition and occasional direct address ("Told you"), with entertaining dialogue shown in word balloons. Thought bubbles enhance the humor, such as when Croc envisions his passengers in meal form (e.g., a warthog hot dog). The illustrations, in bold gouache hues finished digitally, also provide various comedic pauses, as when Croc's hunger hits a fever pitch and a shower of doughnut sprinkles rains down before his wide, intense eyes. Croc's feelings are palpable, including relief when a friend swoops in just in time. A fast-paced, comical reminder that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)