The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Meet a most unusual crocodile!Everybody knows that crocodiles love water, but this little crocodile is different. He doesn't like water at all. In fact, he prefers climbing trees! But it can be lonely when you're the odd one out, so the little crocodile tries his best to change. But being wet isn't for everyone - and a shiver soon becomes a cold and the cold becomes a sneeze, a very hot sneeze... Could it be that this little crocodile isn't a crocodile at all? He might just be a DRAGON! A funny, unique and uplifting story from a debut author-illustrator.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

What begins as an ordinary story of a young hero not fitting in with his peers takes an unexpected and rewarding detour in this debut from London-based author-illustrator Merino. The unnamed crocodile of the title hates being left out when his brothers and sisters swim, dive, and play games in the water, but he hates the water even more. Merino bypasses the obvious trajectory the story could take: while her hero gamely gives the water a chance, swimming with a red flotation ring and attempting a dive in an eight-panel spread ("One, twooo, two and a half, THREEEEE!"), these efforts don't result in instant conversion. Instead, readers discover that his "problem" isn't attitude but biology-there's a good reason this "crocodile" came from a white egg, while his siblings emerged from blue ones. Merino's renderings, using monotype prints and other media, give her hero tons of personality, from his expressive eyes and scraggly teeth to his spindly limbs and tiny wings-wait, wings? This isn't a book to embolden timid swimmers; rather, it celebrates recognizing one's strengths over forcing oneself to fit the mold. Ages 4-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-A little crocodile just can't get too enthused about the water, unlike his siblings, who splash and play in it with abandon. The little guy even uses his tooth fairy money to buy a swim ring. Alas, it is not a helpful solution. Just when he is at his lowest, he feels a sneeze coming on. Lo and behold, out shoots a sizable flame, hilariously setting a diving board on fire. He's actually a dragon! On the following pages, he uses his newly discovered talents to treat his brothers and sisters to a ride in a hot-air balloon and eventually on his winged back. Merino hits it out of the park with delightful artwork that will immediately endear the little dragon to readers and have them giggling cover to cover. She writes with a light, clear hand, letting the illustrations deliver the humor. Readers should look closely for neat little details, adding even more charm to this sweet, funny book about celebrating differences.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

The Ugly Duckling gets a contemporary refitting in this story about another creature who doesn't fit in until he discovers he's been mixing with the wrong crowd. The fairy-tale element is clear from the Once upon a time opening, but the story is set in a world of tiled bathrooms, swimming pools, and inflatable balls. A little crocodile, one of seven siblings, hates water. He peers morosely over the rim of the giant bathtub in which his sibs frolic, and he can't stand the pond and pool. Our hero's uneasiness is perfectly conveyed in the bright, humorously orderly illustrations, with our little guy's goggle eyes and crooked jawline lending him a comically abashed appearance. It is at his darkest moment that he sneezes and a golden plume of fire shoots up over the diving board. The crocodile is actually a fire-breathing dragon, and he can fly, too. Take that, amphibians! All ends well, with his old fellow crocs taking a ride on his back. A light, unique take on the idea that we all have our talents.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2014 Booklist

Horn Book Review

The animal-who-doesn't-belong theme takes on sparkling new life in this wry and loving story of a small brother in the crocodile family who doesn't like rain or baths or the swimming pool but finds his true nature as the result of a dramatic sneeze. Every element of the picture book is in play here -- endpapers that foreshadow the big reveal and cheekily suggest an epilogue; touches of red in the largely green world that mark our hero as an outsider (viz. his tiny red rubber boots); page design that makes us feel his loneliness; emotion-steeped characters whose dot eyes convey trepidation, shock, joy, tentativeness, exhilaration; just enough typographical shenanigans; a pared-down text with one perfect neologism. The story involves no meanness, no bullying. The siblings are kind before and after the punch line. This is just about the joy and relief of finding yourself, finding your true element, with an added bonus for the aquaphobic reader. And that punch line? Green, toothy, long tail, crenellations along the spine? Not a crocodile, but a.... This is an exemplary picture book. sarah ellis (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.