Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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!)

You may be second guessing this book given it's title BUT as you can see from other reviewers - your kids will love it. And probably for the reason you're second guessing it. My son & nephew giggle at Achille's cranky attitude towards his parents when he decides he doesn't want bananas anymore.

I bought this book for my nephew, but before i could give it to him my 12 yr old and my 9 yr old read the book. They were laughing. It is a fantastic story with beautiful illustrations. It would make a great gift for any young child that likes a good bed time story or who is a picky eater.

Well, I bought this book for my 4 and half year old son this Christmas. We just read it tonight and I have to say I thought it was HILARIOUS.... Sure there is a message involved but the book is just plain funny. I actually teared up while I was reading it and my son stopped breathing for a few seconds. It was THE best time we have ever had reading a book. Thank you author!

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (also published under the title I Really Want to Eat a Child) is a brilliant little picture book. The simple illustrations aren't the most realistic amongst the picture book world, and the crocodiles are a lot more human like, they thankfully don't wear clothes or anything but with actions such as walking, they do so on their hind legs. This factor probably does allow children to relate a bit more to the characters, especially the young croc Achilles.

Basic plot of this brilliantly titled picture book revolves around a very young crocodile named Achilles. Achilles is throwing a bit of a tantrum over the fact that he's sick of the food his parents are delivering each day. Understandably when you consider what they're feeding him are bananas, it's never made clear if these are vegetarian crocodiles or if the author is just simply unfamiliar with what crocodiles eat since this book was originally published four years before the English version in French. Maybe because they don't have crocs in France, the author just didn't know what crocs eat. Anyway, Achilles is so sick of bananas, he's turning his back on his parents, sitting with his arms crossed refusing to eat unless his parents bring him the food he craves, a child. His parents offer him a few other alternatives but still Achilles refuses to contemplate any other offering with his constant demand "I really want to eat a child!" Nothing his parents do seems to be able to end his hunger strike so feeling weak, Achilles decides to take a swim so he'll feel better. It is not long before he comes across a foolish human child who is sitting on the river bank with her feet in the water. When Achilles is presented with this chance, will his dream meal come true?

I can understand why some readers may find the subject matter a bit controversial for kids. I too don't think Achilles parents should have given into his bad behaviour midway through the story by rewarding him with chocolate cake. But this really doesn't hamper the important lessons for children that the story contains about the consequences of mistreating animals and that wild animals aren't toys. You could even relate the lesson learnt to tormenting dogs in the park or the family cat. Like with teaching kids the lessons of not sitting or playing on river banks that salties habitat, the chocolate cake for bad behaviour scenes can be tackled simply by the reader holding up the illustration and asking the question to the children being read to, if Achilles or you were being bad/not eating his dinner, should he/you really be rewarded with junk food?

This book is an excellent tool to stimulate discussion on croc safety for those who are planning a trip to Northern Australia, Africa (where this story is set), South America or even for alligators in the southern US states such as Florida or anyone venturing into the sewer systems under New York City. If you are not planning on visiting any of these areas, it is also a very entertaining little story!

This book is great for those of us with a bit of tongue in cheek sense of humor. Luckily, I'm passing that along to my kids and they think this is rather hilarious.

Little Achilles the crocodile is asserting his first stabs at independence to his parents--he turns into a finicky eater and demands some grown-up food. "But we eat bananas for breakfast," his mother entreats. Achilles' parents try to entice him with his favorite foods: chocolate cake (sneakily made with lots of fresh milk) or a long sausage. The parents theatrically pretend it's a disaster: "Boo-hoo-hoo! Our Achilles won't eat" and let the youngster test the waters of his individual power. "Achilles was beginning to feel strange and rather weak all over--which is exactly what happens when you haven't eaten your breakfast," so he heads off for a swim where he spies a little girl. Expounding all his ferociousness to the little girl, Achilles comes across as ridiculously little and cute. The girl grabs him by the tale, tickles his belly, gets bored and splunks him in the river. Achilles goes home to eat his bananas, and look forward to the day he is big enough to eat a child. This is excellent storytime fare from a French author and illustrator team. Do not overlook the fun this story brings forth!

Young Achilles wakes up one day and decides that he would really like to eat a child. His mother only has bananas for him and points out that "children don't grow on banana trees". Achilles refuses the bananas in hopes for a child for breakfast. Later on his father brings him a giant sausage. Achilles refuses this meal also, even though his father tells him that "there's no such thing as a sausage made from children".

His parents decide to appeal to their son's sweet tooth and hope that a chocolate cake will help him forget his silly idea. And even though his parents made a magnificent and huge chocolate cake, Achilles just wasn't interested. He had his heart set on a child to snack on. His parents were very distressed - Achilles hadn't eaten all day! Achilles himself was "beginning to feel strange and week all over" and he decides a swim will fix him up. Down at the river he sees a girl playing. Despite his excitement he creeps up slowly on the child and gave his best, but very tiny, roar. The girl that that the teeny-tiny crocodile was the cutest thing ever (though too scrawny, he needed to eat more) so she picked him up and played with him. Little Achilles did not like being manhandled, tickled, and finally thrown into the river when the girl was tired of playing. He climbed out of the river, hungrier than ever.

"Darn! I blew it! he said.
And he ran all the way home shouting, "Daddy, Mommy!
Quick, give me some bananas! I have to grow bigger...
Big enough to eat a child!"

Of course I originally bought this book for my school library because of the title - it's awesome! I enjoy I'd Really Like to Eat a Child despite it's clumsy message to eat healthy and not to skip meals. My students love the little bitty crocodile who wants to eat a child. They laugh at the idea of children growing on trees and sausages made of children. I've read it to our 3 year olds in Pre-K and they love the ridiculousness of it. It never occurred to me that this might be a scary book. Imagine my surprise when I read some reviews that thought this was a horrible and disturbing story. Maybe it depends on how you read it and it is always important to keep your audience in mind. If your child, or the child you're buying for, is easily scared then maybe this isn't the book for them.

Great concept but it gets tripped up by the healthy eating message. Some consider it a scary book, but I, and my youngest students, think it's lots of fun. Pick I'd Really Like to Eat a Child up from your local library.

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