Crocodile Gene and His Friends

The story of Crocodile Gene and his friends by E.Uspensky in fact is a true gem of the Soviet literature for kids.In the country where fiction for grown-ups was severely monitored and censors were more powerful than editors many of the writers had chosen to write for kids and thus re-direct their creative force into a more neutral flow wher political tensions were not present.When I read the editorial review I was really shocked. I bet the reviewer failed to understand the cultural references that the Russian people had in the Soviet Union. The Western type of kids' entertainment and literature driven by Tom & Jerry and Spiderman comic books (btw, there were no comic books in the Soviet Union. Kids read books instead.) was totally uncommon and even banned and kind stories like this one about Gene were everything the Soviet kids had. This story is a story about friendship - plain and simple. It is meant for really small kids and it is good enough at this point. Besides, it also gives a hint of what life in the Soviet Union was (the episode of buying bricks).If you liked this book, check out the Soyuzmultfilm animated series about Gene and Floptop.