I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (Picture Book) [Hardcover]

Sylviane Donnio (Author), Dorothee De Monfreid (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2007 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Picture Book

A scrawny little crocodile wants the opportunity to bite off more than he can chew. He's tired of bananas; today he'd like to eat a child. But he's smaller than he thinks, and the little girl he chooses for his first meal puts him in his place—she picks him up and tickles his tummy! The little crocodile is going to have to eat a lot of bananas and grow a lot bigger before he can add children to his menu! Simple yet hilarious artwork brings this droll story to life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Oh, growing up is so hard! There's so much you want and so much you can't do yet. Little Achilles is a crocodile who decides one morning that he's grown beyond his diet of bananas. "Today, I’d really like to eat a child," he tells his mother. She reasons with him: "What an idea!...Well, children don't grow on banana trees, only bananas do, and that's what I have for breakfast!" But Achilles won't be swayed, not even by sausage or cake. And when he happens upon a girl child by the river, it looks like his culinary dream might come true...

French author-illustrator team Sylviane Donnio and Dorothee de Monfreid have perfectly captured the hubris of childhood in this droll story. Young Achilles is so darn cute, and so sure of himself, readers will fall instantly in love. And the encounter with the girl at the river bank is priceless. --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K—Picky Achilles, a small crocodile, refuses to eat his bananas for breakfast and matter-of-factly explains that he'd rather eat a child. Despite the delicious chocolate cake his parents make to whet his appetite, Achilles is insistent. As he walks down to the river, he notices an opportunity—a young girl sitting on the riverbank. Droll humor saves the day as Achilles meets his match. Sunny cartoon illustrations capture the setting with grass huts and tropical trees in the background. The yellow endpapers with silhouetted bananas add additional flavor. Rereading will be a delight.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375837612
• ISBN-13: 978-0375837616
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.4 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Alligators & Crocodiles
  • #16 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Reptiles & Amphibians

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hungry, hungry crocodile, April 24, 2007

By 

Kelly Herold "Big A little a" (Smalltown, Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (Picture Book) (Hardcover)

There is something so refreshingly honest and upfront about Sylviane Donnio's "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child." Just the title alone tells you that this story is not another P.C. animal tale in which polar bears and babies snuggle together on a cold night. Nope, "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" gives it to you straight.

Achilles the crocodile lives on a banana diet enforced by his Mama (and, possibly, P.C. animal stories everywhere). One morning Mama is worried when Achilles won't eat his banana for breakfast. When Achilles announces--as well he should--that he wants a child to eat, Mama answers, "What an idea, my little Achilles!...Children don't grown on banana trees, only bananas do and that's what I have for breakfast."

Dad tries to remedy the situation with a sausage brought back from the village. Achilles insists a child should be on the menu. Dad exclaims, "Come now, Achilles. There's no such thing as a sausage made from children!" (Okay, call me sick, but that's pretty funny. My kids thought it was a hoot too.)

Many foodish attempts are made until Achilles encounters a lovely little girl playing on a river bank. Achilles approaches slowly...until...the girl cries, "Oh! Look at that...A teeny-tiny crocodile! He's awfully cute!" Poor Achilles. His hopes dashed, he runs home so he can eat as many bananas as possible. I'll let you guess why.

Sylviane Donnio's concept is great here--this book has the dark humor any three- to eight-year-old will appreciate. Dorothée de Monfreid's cartoon-like illustrations are a perfect match as well. How she makes a teeny tiny crocodile's expressions exactly mirror those of a recalcitrant toddler I'll never know.

"I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" is highly recommended fun for adults and children who like a touch of the macabre with their humor. Don't worry--no children were harmed in the making of this book.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catchy Title, Wonderful Story, June 5, 2007

By 

AllNightReader "Cassie" (Regina Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (Picture Book) (Hardcover)

I'm a librarian and saw this book at a publisher's book fair. The title grabbed me instantly as hilarious. I have a three year old nephew so ordered the book for his birthday. When it arrived I sat right down and read it. The story is just as cute as the title; about little Achilles the crocodile who had a steady diet of bananas from his Mom but really wants to eat a child. After pursuing this ambition and meeting a possible child to consume Achilles realizes his mistake and happily goes back to Mom and his regular diet. It's a simple yarn for a child up to about the age of six. The pictures are delightful; colorful and well drawn. I think I'll order it for myself. My nephew has certainly enjoyed his copy.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sooooooooo cute!, July 29, 2007

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (Picture Book) (Hardcover)

A cute, hilarious, innocent book about a little crocodile named Achilles who decides he wants to hunt down little children, even though his parents keep telling him to eat bananas for breakfast if he wants to grown big and strong. Achilles is a very loveable character, and the punchline to the story is lots of fun. If you enjoyed this one, you might also want to check out Mo Willems' "Leonardo The Terrible Monster," which has a similar plot and an equally adorable hero. (ReadThatAgain!)