I, Crocodile (Hardcover)

by Fred Marcellino (Author, Illustrator) "Ah, what a contented crocodile I used to be..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Ah, the contented life of a Nile crocodile, direct descendant of the ancient Pharaoh-worshiped Egyptian crocs. Delectable fish for dinner, exquisite pink flamingo for dessert. Life is good... until Napoleon shows up, that is. This greedy emperor wants one of everything in sight--mummies, obelisks, and yes, a crocodile for a Parisian fountain display. The nerve. But, well, life isn't all bad in Paris. Soon our hero is the "Toast of the Tuileries! The Darling of the Empire!" Life is good again... until that fickle emperor gets a hankering for Crocodile pie with Egyptian onions. It's time for this rascally reptile to make a quick getaway.

Inspired by an obscure 19th-century French satire, I, Crocodile is Fred Marcellino's first hilarious effort at both writing and illustrating a picture book. His previous illustrations for children's books, including Puss in Boots, have garnered numerous awards, among them the Caldecott Honor and an ALA Notable Children's Book award. Marcellino's witty pictures and text, portraying Napoleon as a prima donna potentate and the crocodile as a not-so-innocent victim, have a sly sense of humor that will keep historians and young readers rolling in the aisles. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
This first picture book that Marcellino (Puss in Boots) has both written and illustrated is a pi?ce de r?sistance. According to the witty green narrator of this singular tale, Egypt was a paradise until "(to be precise) August 17, 1799." That day, Napoleon spoils the crocodile's bulrush idyll. Seated on a white steed, the emperor orders his troops, "Mummies! I want mummies!... And a sphinx and an obelisk. Make it a big one." In refined watercolor spreads, Napoleon's soldiers obligingly plunder temples and, as an afterthought, snare the crocodile, too. "What a cruel and abrupt departure from my mudbank," the caged reptile reports from a ship laden with Egyptian booty. The protagonist's irreverent tone serves as a perfect counterbalance for Napoleon's disrespect for Egyptian culture, and the varied use of vignettes, thought balloons and spreads keeps the pacing brisk. In one series of vignettes, Marcellino chronicles the lengthy journey and the creature's near starvation ("Was anyone keeping track of all the meals I was missing?") accompanied by its hyperbolic facial expressions. Upon reaching Paris, the crocodile achieves star status in a spread that conveys a capital worthy of its nickname, the City of Lights. Later, having fallen from favor, the croc escapes to the sewer system and, in comical facing pages, surfaces to snag a high-society lunch (feathered turban and all). Although its plump pickle-shaped body, chubby legs and devastatingly polite manner don't seem threatening, this is one stolen artifact that literally bites back. All ages. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (September 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062051687
• ISBN-13: 978-0062051684
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #275,963 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aye, Crocodile, November 30, 1999

By A Customer

Incoming rave review.

Most children's classics have either a terrific story, or a terrific main character, or terrific illustrations. I, Crocodile has all three.

The story is, as they say, high-concept. (Disney and Dreamworks ought to consider it for animation.) See, the dreamy life of this crocodile on the banks of the Nile is rudely interrupted by Napoleon, who....well, you have to read the book. It has huge entertainment value for kids, and wit that will motivate an adult to read it aloud enthusiastically even on the thirty-seventh time around. (There will be a thirty-seventh time.)

As for the beast himself, he's the greatest crocodile since Lewis Carroll's. Even bigger. (Of his own reptile, Carroll wrote, "How doth the little crocodile...." Marcellino's has a heartier appetite.)

The illustrations are spectacular. They're rich with surprise, color, and beauty. They reach the level of art without a trace of self-consciousness.

I, Crocodile is full of life. It whisks you along so absorbingly, you're hardly conscious of turning the pages. You may already know that Fred Marcellino has, for years, been one of the preeminent children's illustrators. He's now, in a single stroke, one of the preeminent children's authors as well.

So:

If there's a child in your life, I, Crocodile is a must-have book. If there's no child in your life, you might want to order it anyway. The simulated crocodile-skin cover, alone, is worth the price of admission.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Instant Classic, December 10, 1999

By A Customer

This is one of the all-time great children's stories. Seriously. As for the artwork, it actually may surpass Marcellino's previous Caldecott-honored standards. Is "I, Crocodile" a page turner? Is chocolate pudding a kid magnet? The story's hilarious rogue crocodile is more memorable than all the latest you-know-which cartoon characters put together. The plot ranges cinematically from the banks of the Nile to the banks of the Paris sewers... with a ton of razzle-dazzle in between. Appearing in an ingenious supporting role is pudgy, comically self-important Napoleon, himself. In addition to the crocodile's various meals, Marcellino offers food for thought, yet never with a heavy hand and always with a perfect-pitch instinct for sheer entertainment. Getting "I, Crocodile" for your kids to enjoy is the perfect excuse to get it for your own enjoyment. It's easily the children's book of the year. And... it's Y2K-compliant.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Children's Books, March 13, 2003

By A Customer

I am an Elementary School library teacher and book lover. I teach library and computer skills to little kids. "I Crocodile" ranks with the greatest of the great. I'm ordering 2 copies. One is for a 3rd grader as a reward for reading books during our Book-A-Thon. The other one is a gift for my brother, a poet, who has a ph.D. in creative writing and literature. This is a book which easily will bring chortles and laughs from both.