by Martin Jenkins
Illustrated by Sotoshi Kitamura
Published by U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2019
28 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7538-7
Ages 5-8
Lurking beneath the water, a crocodile waits for an animal to come down for a drink at the shore. “And then? Oh, dear … Let’s just say there’s a lot of twirling and thrashing, and then things go a bit quiet.” That’s just the start of this lively informational picture book which also reveals another side to these fearsome creatures. After laying and caring for their eggs, female crocodiles carry their newborns down to the water in their mouths. A mother watch over its young for months to protect them from predators (including male crocodiles). Many young don’t survive, but those that do grow up to eventually lurk beneath the water, waiting for something to come down for a drink … An engaging, energetic primary text punctuated by droll moments of humor is accompanied by additional facts on various pages (e.g., crocodiles can go for weeks between meals, they typically lay 40 to 60 eggs which take 80-90 days to hatch), as well as information about different types of crocodiles, and related species, at book’s end. The mixed-media illustrations give a wonderful sense of size and drama. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
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