Croc o'Clock

September 15, 2021
What will the hungry croc eat? (Just about everything....) "At one on the zoo clock, / the keepers give to me... / A MOUNTAIN OF MACARONI!" But that's not enough for a huge croc; this one must be fed each hour, and he's got a song to let readers know what he eats (they can probably sing along with it). At 2:00 there are two cups of tea plus another mountain of macaroni; at 3:00 there are three french fries--and two cups of tea, and yet another mountain. And at 4:00? "4 pumpkin pies / 3 french fries / 2 cups of tea / And a mountain of macaroni!" Doughnut rings (the latter word drawn out), tasty toffees, creamy coffees...it goes on and on to the familiar tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas." This crocodile eats and eats (and grows increasingly enormous) until it reaches 12 syrup sundaes, at which point the end of the countdown arrives not at another mountain of macaroni but at one green pea. The zookeepers have finally decided this croc needs some veg! Author and sometime Arctic explorer Lewis-Jones shows a silly side in penning a perfect parody of the Yuletide favorite focusing on a greedy croc. Sanders' stylized illustrations of a bright green croc on equally bright backgrounds inhaling yummies served by a multiracial troop of zookeepers and patrons are a deliciously eye-catching match. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A cumulative singalong fit for hungry crowds (and crocs). (Picture book. 2-7)

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