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Crocodile! Crocodile!: Stories Told Around the World
Children's librarian and acclaimed storyteller Barbara Baumgartner has collected her most successful performances in Crocodile! Crocodile!. From India, Puerto Rico, China, the Seneca Indians, and Appalachia, these stories have proven all-time favorites with children of all ages. Full color.
45 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 10, 2019
Storyteller and children's librarian Barbara Baumgartner presents six of her most popular tales in Crocodile! Crocodile!, a collection of international folklore that young readers are sure to find entertaining. From the opening two Indian selections about Crocodile and Monkey - the titular Crocodile! Crocodile!, and Crocodile Hunts for the Monkey - in which the clever primate is more than a match for his reptilian foe, to the cumulative Puerto Rican tale of The Squeaky Old Bed, these tales are made for reading aloud! Rounding out the selections are the Native American (Seneca) tale of How the Chipmunk Got His Stripes, the Chinese story of The Grateful Snake, in which a kind boy is rewarded by the snake-dragon he aids, and the Appalachian Sody Saleratus.
The cut-paper illustrations by Judith Moffat seem a little simplistic, and are not really to my taste (David Wisniewski is the master of this sort of thing), but the colors are bright, and the visuals will undoubtedly hold young readers' attention. I liked that there was a section on acting out the tales, at the end, with suggestions for making puppets. I also liked the fact that Baumgartner gives source material for her selections. All in all, an engaging, though by no means brilliant, folkloric collection, probably best suited for preschool and early elementary-school children.
The cut-paper illustrations by Judith Moffat seem a little simplistic, and are not really to my taste (David Wisniewski is the master of this sort of thing), but the colors are bright, and the visuals will undoubtedly hold young readers' attention. I liked that there was a section on acting out the tales, at the end, with suggestions for making puppets. I also liked the fact that Baumgartner gives source material for her selections. All in all, an engaging, though by no means brilliant, folkloric collection, probably best suited for preschool and early elementary-school children.
May 12, 2021
This was a collection of 6 short folktales from various cultures around the world ("world" used generously since only India and North American tales are included) . We are used to a larger compilation of folklore, so I was a little surprised that this collection only included 6 stories. Half of these stories we already familiar and the other half were new to us. The stories were quite elementary in both illustrations and text. Overall, we read this book in a single sitting but I think there are more comprehensive options for introducing the multi-cultural world of folklore.
October 3, 2017
Very cute book. This would be perfect for a traditional literature lesson about not well-known folk tales. These are very short and sweet and tell everything to the point. I like how it tells you right in the title where the folk talk is from. The illustrations are also very interesting and eye-catching.
January 23, 2023
Folktales from all around the world!
December 11, 2011
This is an interesting collection of short stories. It's a strangely uneven combination of tales, and I never did figure out what linked the stories, if anything.
The first two were from India and featured a monkey and a crocodile. And given the title, I thought, "Aha! These stories are going to feature crocodiles."
But then the third story was from Puerto Rico and had no crocodiles at all. It was a simplified version of the story we read in The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald. I actually learned about and decided to read this book by reading Abigail A.'s review of that one.
And the fourth story was a Native American pourquoi tale that explains how a chipmunk gets its stripes that had nothing to do with the other three.
The fifth story was a Chinese trickster tale that reminded us strongly of a variation of the story: The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmel. I'm not sure if one story influenced the other, but the plots are very similar.
The last story was a very odd American tale about a family being eaten by a bear. I never did figure out what the tie was (besides all being folktales) or why each story was chosen for this collection, but the stories were entertaining. We expected to read just a couple and finish the book another night, but our girls asked for "just one more" over and over until we finished the book. The cut paper illustrations are colorful and fun and complemented each tale nicely. We enjoyed reading this book together.
The first two were from India and featured a monkey and a crocodile. And given the title, I thought, "Aha! These stories are going to feature crocodiles."
But then the third story was from Puerto Rico and had no crocodiles at all. It was a simplified version of the story we read in The Squeaky Door by Margaret Read MacDonald. I actually learned about and decided to read this book by reading Abigail A.'s review of that one.
And the fourth story was a Native American pourquoi tale that explains how a chipmunk gets its stripes that had nothing to do with the other three.
The fifth story was a Chinese trickster tale that reminded us strongly of a variation of the story: The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmel. I'm not sure if one story influenced the other, but the plots are very similar.
The last story was a very odd American tale about a family being eaten by a bear. I never did figure out what the tie was (besides all being folktales) or why each story was chosen for this collection, but the stories were entertaining. We expected to read just a couple and finish the book another night, but our girls asked for "just one more" over and over until we finished the book. The cut paper illustrations are colorful and fun and complemented each tale nicely. We enjoyed reading this book together.
October 12, 2008
A collection of folktales. The stories "teach young listeners the simple truths of folktales and the wisdom that each imparts."
What I liked about this book is it has a special section at the end of the book about making stick puppets and "bringing the stories to life." I thought it would be fun for a primary class to play out the tales with puppets.
What I liked about this book is it has a special section at the end of the book about making stick puppets and "bringing the stories to life." I thought it would be fun for a primary class to play out the tales with puppets.
September 6, 2008
Tis book is filled with folktales from around the world. These tales tell stories of crocociles being outwitted by monkeys, squeaky beds, chipmunks and how they got their stripes, and many more.
December 16, 2011
includes a great version of Soddy Saleratus
September 9, 2012
Fun animal stories and wonderful cut-paper illustrations.
October 19, 2016
A book of tales from different cultures around the world. My little one loved these stories with their fun, colorful pictures. Definitely worth reading to any young children.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews