Croc & Turtle!

by Mike Wohnoutka

Overview

For fans of Penguin and Pinecone, this adorable duo will warm your heart and tickle your funny bone.

Meet Croc! He is the strongest and fastest crocodile around.

Meet Turtle! He agrees that Croc is the strongest and fastest.

But what happens when Elephant lifts that heavy rock with ease? And when Cheetah speeds on by?

Croc and Turtle might not be the strongest or the fastest, but they're definitely the best at something even more important . . .

This humorous and heartwarming board book featured an utterly charming duo who will delight readers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547603121
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	02/11/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	340L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

MIKE WOHNOUTKA is the illustrator of many books including Moo!, which received two starred reviews and was chosen as an ALA Notable book and by the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books as a Blue Ribbon selection; Can't Sleep Without Sheep; Just Like My Papa; and Stay Close to Mama. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Mike lives with his wife and two children in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
www.mikewohnoutka.com

Editorial Reviews

Wohnoutka's good-natured tale of competition . . . is a great addition to storytime collections. . . . These reptiles with a rockin' relationship will win fans.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Characterized by gentle colors and uncluttered pages, gouache paintings by Wohnoutka (Moo!) capture an innocent and uncomplicated friendship between two likable best buds.” —Publishers Weekly

“By the end of the book, readers will be all set for school too: this is sure to provoke shared laughter that will calm the fears of even the most unready parents.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on DAD'S FIRST DAY

“Wohnoutka's gouache paintings poke gentle fun at Daddy, and they'll elicit giggles . . . It should leave new students with an extra jolt of confidence.” —Publishers Weekly on DAD'S FIRST DAY

“The colorful gouache illustrations will elicit giggles from young readers as they imagine their parents behaving like Oliver's dad.” —School Library Journal on DAD'S FIRST DAY

“The readaloud's the real fun here.” —BCCB, starred review, on MOO!

“This book is bold, original, and funny, and should be part of every picture-book collection.” —School Library Journal, starred review, on MOO!

From the Publisher

11/05/2018
Cheered on by his supportive friend Turtle, Croc attempts to show he is the best at something, but passersby undermine his feats of strength, hopping, and speed. With a “fling!” elephant proves himself better at lifting heavy boulders; with a “wheeeeee!” rabbit easily jumps higher; and with a “zoooooooooom!” cheetah easily outruns the friendly crocodile. “I’m not the best at anything!” a defeated Croc sniffles. Turtle reassures Croc—“You are stronger than me. You can jump higher than me. And you can run way faster than me!”—before realizing that he isn’t the best at anything either. Fortunately, the pair discover that they excel at the same task: being best friends. Characterized by gentle colors and uncluttered pages, gouache paintings by Wohnoutka (Moo!) capture an innocent and uncomplicated friendship between two likable best buds. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

06/07/2019

PreS-Gr 1-Croc wants to show his pal Turtle how he's the best at picking up a heavy rock, but Elephant comes along and is stronger. How about jumping over that rock? Nope, Rabbit can jump higher. Running? Surely he is the fastest runner. Yes, until Cheetah zooms past him. A disheartened Croc despairs at not being the best at anything, until Turtle reminds him that he can beat him in all those things, leaving Turtle wondering if he's the best at anything. Together they realize that they are the best at being each other's friend. Besides, Croc reminds Turtle, you are the best swimmer, and Turtle reminds Croc he has the most teeth (until Shark shows up). Wohnoutka's acryla gouache illustrations work effortlessly with the text for a fun story with plenty of character. There is a good use of white space, brilliant facial expressions, humorous antics and adorable critters. In a clever and understated bit of detail, the text is color coded; each animal has its own color. Croc and Turtle's colors match the cover art. VERDICT A humorous story about friendship and what being the best at something really means.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

School Library Journal

2018-09-17

Is Croc best at something? Pal Turtle certainly thinks so.

Croc asks Turtle if Turtle would like to see Croc lift a heavy rock; Turtle says sure. It's not easy, but Croc lifts it and claims the title of strongest. Turtle claps. Along comes Elephant, who tries lifting the rock…and tosses it skyward. Croc then asks Turtle if Turtle would like to see Croc jump over the rock. Turtle is impressed when Croc performs the task…then along comes Rabbit, who demonstrates that Croc's not the best jumper either. Turns out Croc's not as fast as Cheetah, either. Croc's sad not to be the best at anything. Turtle points out that Croc is better than Turtle at all of the feats attempted. Neither of them is the best…until they realize they are both the best at being best friends. Wohnoutka's good-natured tale of competition concludes with a heartwarming denouement and a funny finish, when the buddies bump into a friendly shark after deciding Turtle's the best swimmer and Croc has the most teeth. Between its kid-friendly treatment and its sunny, cartoon characters, this is a great addition to storytime collections as well as good bibliotherapy for the overly competitive. The text is composed entirely of dialogue and sound effects, and no character has a specified gender.

These reptiles with a rockin' relationship will win fans. (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews