The Christmas Crocodile

Crocodiles do not conjure up images of a well-behaved pet! Alice Jayne sure tries to convince her eccentric family to keep a "puppy eyed" crocodile she finds under the Christmas tree. Our sympathy immediately goes out to the Christmas Crocodile who really "didn't mean to be bad." He sure gets into trouble in this book. From page one, get ready to laugh at the adorable antics and pictures of less than amused family members. If the "Cat in the Hat" had been found under the Christmas tree, even he could not have created this much chaos! After gobbling down just about everything (a water bottle, candy canes, a Christmas roast, pumpkin pie, twenty-nine crumpets on the kitchen counter, a box of pralines, one fruitcake, five golden oranges, the left stove top burner, and a plate of ginger star cookies), the family locks the crocodile in the back room. They then retire for the evening. What happens next can only be told by Bonny Becker and illustrated by David Small. We have copy which says: "For Alexia, Season's eatings!" signed by Bonny Becker! This is a magical book from start to finish. You don't want all this fun to ever end...and you know...it might just being again. Don't peak at the last page! This is the perfect gift for any child at Christmas time. They will enjoy reading it all year long. ~The Rebecca Review

I heard Daniel Pinkwater read this book on his Chinwag Theatre program. My family really ate it up! We cried crocodile tears-of laughter. It is really funny, and the illustrations are perfect too, with lots of personality and great details. My kids love the little dog, who is annoyed by the greedy but lovable crocodile, but Aunt Figgy is a close runner up. Alice Jayne's crazy relatives are a hoot, but the story has a real sweetness and generosity that kids and parents alike will appreciate. Everyone we have shared it with has loved it--young and old.

The Christmas Crocodile has been a big hit in our house. The wonderful story of Alice Jayne and her hilarious family are perfect with the illustrations. Our five year old loves the crocodile who eats his way through this eccentric family's Victorian Christmas. This is one Christmas story that will become a tradition in our house.

This book is one of my all time favorite Christmas books. It is about a madcap family and a loveable crocidile. The illustrations are great reading after reading. The story is humorous and touching and fun for repeated readings. My kids love it.

This book has been a big hit with my son. He asks us to read it two or three times per day. The story and pictures are great. The two main characters, Alice-Jayne and the Christmas Crocodile are very lovable. Alice-Jayne shows great concern for the crocodile, even as he consumes more and more of Christmas at every turn. The author does a great job creating wacky but believable relatives. The illustrations are very engaging. I especially like their detail. I feel that any children's book with intricate drawing will make the book enjoyable even after multiple readings. This book will become a tradition in our family.