Beware of the Crocodile

by Martin Jenkins, Satoshi Kitamura (Illustrator)

Overview

Explore an informative, playfully illustrated story about one of the world’s most dangerous animals: the crocodile.

You probably know a little about crocodiles already. They’re reptiles, they have an awful lot of teeth, and they’re pretty scary — at least, the big ones are! They’re not very fussy about what they eat, and when it comes to hunting down dinner, crocodiles are very determined . . . and very cunning. But there’s more to crocodiles than just their appetites. They love to nap on warm sandbanks and cool off in calm waters, and crocodile mothers are very gentle with their babies. This fascinating look at one of Earth’s most infamous creatures is full of information for amateur scientists, with back matter that includes an index, notes on species, and suggestions for further reading.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763675387
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/12/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Martin Jenkins has written many celebrated books for children, including The Emperor’s Egg, illustrated by Jane Chapman, and Can We Save the Tiger?, illustrated by Vicky White. Martin Jenkins lives in England, where he works as a conservation biologist.

Satoshi Kitamura won the Mother Goose Award for the most exciting newcomer to children's book illustration for Angry Arthur, written by Hiawyn Oram. Satoshi Kitamura lives in Japan.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/17/2018

Wry narration from Jenkins (The Squirrels’ Busy Year) and dreamy illustrations by Kitamura (My Hand) elevate what could be a pedestrian animal exploration. Crocodiles are scary, Jenkins admits up front (“They’ve got an awful lot of... teeth”), but rather than reveling in blood and guts, he treats the way they capture their prey with charming British understatement: “Let’s just say there’s a lot of twirling and thrashing, and then things go a bit quiet.” He devotes more attention to a tender account of crocodile maternal care: “Then—very carefully—she picks up the newly hatched babies in her enormous jaws and drops them into the water nearby.” Kitamura uses a documentary style different from his usual jaunty artwork: layers of gray wash, soft colors, and dynamic strokes emphasize the croc’s massive bulk, its glittery golden eyes, and its mouthful of teeth. A graduated sapphire and rose wash conveys the limpid beauty of sea and sky, and a simple index includes instructions for using indexes. It’s not just a good crocodile reference; it’s a good introduction to reference books. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Wry narration from Jenkins (The Squirrels’ Busy Year) and dreamy illustrations by Kitamura (My Hand) elevate what could be a pedestrian animal exploration...It’s not just a good crocodile reference; it’s a good introduction to reference books.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“If there’s one thing you should know about crocodiles, it’s that they’re really scary,” begins this enticing picture-book overview of the toothy reptiles...With its measured, coy joy in the fierce details, this is the crocodile book that many kids have been waiting for, and it will end up on repeat as a readaloud and a readalone for many.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Kitamura’s mixed-media illustrations correspond with the text but include a bit of whimsy in extratextual features, such as the depiction of a nattily dressed crocodile scanning a restaurant menu of favored prey in the back matter. Chomp down on this one; there’s a lot of meat on these narrative bones.
—The Horn Book

It may be hard to love a crocodile but, by taking a humorous approach, Beware of the Crocodile manages to make this fearsome reptile almost endearing. The combination of informative, non-judgemental text and delightful illustrations makes this a perfect gift for any child who loves animals.
—New York Journal of Books

As fascinating to read as it is fun to look at, Beware of Crocodiles is fast-paced, full of facts, cool illustrations, and a dash of humor here and there, making this book educational and enjoyable.
—Reading Eagle (from Kendal Rautzhan's "Books to Borrow")

Martin Jenkins writes in a playful, informative way about crocs and their habit of waiting just below the surface of lakes and rivers for passers-by who stop to have a drink...Satoshi Kitamura’s expressive style of illustration is perfectly suited to presenting these toothy monsters, whose curved jaws look—almost—as if they are smiling.
—The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

★ 02/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2—British conservation biologist Jenkins (Fabulous Frogs; Can We Save the Tiger?) teams up with Japanese illustrator Kitamura for a factual, funny, and frightening study of the lifespan of one of the world's most fearsome creatures. As Kitamura's grand and formidable crocodile moves from the title page to the first spread with jaws open wide, Jenkins's playful writing alleviates how frightening this subject can be: "If there's one thing you should know about crocodiles, it's that they're really scary—or at least the big ones are. They've got an awful lot of…teeth." Focusing on crocodiles' hunting and nesting patterns, the spare text is packed with information. When it is time for the crocodile to eat, the most gruesome parts are left off the page, but both text, rendered in different sizes, and illustrations give a sense of momentum and movement. This dramatic read-aloud contains occasional well-placed, offset crocodile facts, but stopping to read them doesn't disrupt the pacing. Kitamura's pen, watercolor, and mixed-media illustrations capture the animal's natural smile, adding personality, and the use of shadow and line adds tension as the animals sneak up on their prey. Back matter offers additional facts, including the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. VERDICT An engaging and enlightening classroom read-aloud, and a first purchase for libraries.—Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR

School Library Journal

2018-12-05

A picture book that presents some information about crocodiles.

The book begins: "If there's one thing you should know about crocodiles, it's that they're really scary." And that does crocodiles a huge disservice. While the story does present some crocodile facts—crocodile mothers build nests of leaves and lay between 40 and 60 eggs; crocodiles don't need to eat that often—the bulk of the story focuses on how crocodiles sneak up on their prey and eat them. Author Jenkins' tone is conversational and droll, but the dry humor doesn't outweigh the story's fearmongering ("waiting for something—or even somebody—to come down to drink"). It's hard to know what purpose this serves, other than developing in readers a fear of the natural world. Kitamura's mixed-media illustrations, featuring large, toothy crocodiles that sprawl, side-to, across double-page spreads, are largely redundant. Sometimes the crocodile faces left, sometimes right. The backmatter offers additional information: There are 16 kinds of crocodiles; the crocodiles featured in the book are saltwater crocodiles. As this is not relayed in the story itself, readers may feel some confusion with basic facts: Do all kinds build nests out of leaves? Do they all lay 40 to 60 eggs? "More Information" lists all of two websites, one last updated in 2012.

A story that sacrifices facts for drama about creatures that have lived on Earth since the dinosaurs (a fact readers won't find in this book). (index) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews