Crocodile is tired, scared, and hopeful as he searches for his new home.
Everything will be better where I’m going! he thinks. But where is that?
Crocodile’s Crossing: A Search for Home introduces children to the complex topic of immigration. Featuring bright artwork packed with playful details, this thoughtful tale sensitively portrays the challenges faced by refugees and other newcomers. A downloadable discussion guide will be available at www.flyawaybooks.com/resources.
This is a lovely book about a crocodile who must leave his home because it is no longer safe and he travels all over looking for a new one. People in the places he travels to judge him as scary and make assumptions about him. It's clearly an immigration metaphor but it is a subtle one that works well. The art is beautiful and the tone hopeful. This is a book that can give children subtle insight into what it's like to be a refugee and how people (and crocodiles?) all just want a place where we can be safe and happy with those we love. Recommended.
I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.
This is a simple little story about a crocodile searching for a new home after trouble comes to his homeland.
It's basically a metaphor about refugees, told in an accessible way with a nice crocodile as the main character. After leaving his home, he finds it difficult to fit in anywhere. Others judge him for his appearance, and he struggles to find his place. Eventually, some mice open their hearts to him and he finds what he's been looking for. Only one thing is missing: his family.
The story is very simple, but effective. I was a little confused about Crocodile's age, though. I assumed, since this is a children's book, that he was young. But then he left his family behind and set out on his own. (I know this happens, but it's kind of a scary concept, especially since he's depicted as sort of floundering without any support or kindness shown to him.) At the end, though, it appears that he has a wife and child. I'm not sure if kids are going to be able to relate to that; perhaps it would have been better to tell the story from his child's point of view.
This would definitely be a good book to start a conversation about refugees and the reasons they might have for leaving their homes behind. Overall, it's a solid book (if fairly forgettable).
Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for providing a digital ARC.
Staying home is not always a choice, but HAVING a home may not be a choice we can make for ourselves. Written and illustrated by YOERI SLEGERS, this recent release blends recognizable global spaces with human attitudes and issues and emotions regarding a surprising central character: Crocodile. Questions arise on the cover, continue throughout each spread, and resonate with an essential question on the back cover. This engaging and hopeful tale is a parable for our modern world. Crocodile's colorful cover image only suggests his isolation and desperate journey, including continental geo-markers and a lurking shark. Endpapers instantly imply the stark reality of his situation, overlays of global maps slashed with random arrows and routes, evidence of attempts launched and halted sporadically and unsuccessfully. My reaction to this effective choice was the thought: Where IS home?
The title and credits spread reveals Crocodile fishing to survive, alone, in a makeshift vessel of hope. I was especially taken with the thought that his natural traits (those many sharp teeth included) were not softened, yet his expressive eyes, body language, and circumstances made me care about him. The first page turn echoes the cover with a more ominous perspective: a vivid awareness of failure to find a safe harbor, more sharks, and a pulled-back perspective that isolates him even further. And yet the opening text of that first page reveals his resilient nature:
"Crocodile was on his way. He was tired. Scared. Hopeful. Everything will be better where I'm going, he thought. But where is that?"
Throughout this and every page that follows the minimal text is suffused with charm and wit, despite Crocodile's escalating struggles. Nuanced and detailed illustrations confirm that Crocodile's original home was once a safe and sociable place, until "trouble" suddenly makes it unsafe, threatening life and limb. With a sad farewell and a red backpack, Crocodile is forced to seek a new HOME. Within the space of a few pages and words, his search is rejected, his identity assaulted, and his intentions are challenged. His resources depleted, his empty nights are filled with dreams of the home he left behind. Until the mice discover him.
Interior: Crocodile's Crossing: A Search for Home (Flyaway Books)
I particularly loved this aspect of the story: this is not one compassionate mouse pulling a thorn from a lion's paw, but an advanced community of mice who recognize a wandering soul in need of a home. (By the way, the pages with mice provide an open invitation to explore each and every little mouse, their expressions, roles, and relationships to the others.)
I've already revealed far too much, but I hope you trust my promise that the ending is satisfying on every level. There is nothing about it that is trite, but everything about it is universal. The subtitle, A Search for Home, says it all. This is an entertaining story with delightful characters and visual appeal. The essential theme elevates it from general appeal to a book of lasting value. We can all learn something from Crocodile and the community of mice who recognized and empathized with another creature in need. Even one with very sharp teeth. Even when the seeker didn't look anything like them. Insert one adjective into that essential rhetorical question from the back cover: "What happens when MY home can't be home anymore?"
I received an ARC through NetGalley from Flyaway Books. My son said this was a sad book even though it had a happy ending. I think that was really perceptive and demonstrated the impact of the book’s message. Things aren’t going well and Crocodile leaves his home. He can’t find a place where he is accepted, finally some mice are kind to him and he learns their ways. At the end Crocodile’s family comes to be with him. Ultimately, this is an immigrant or refugee story. It is hard to miss your home and not go back, even if you find a new place that works for you. The illustrations were good. The ending felt a little abrupt. There is definitely room to talk about Crocodile’s experience with children. Recommended ages 4-7.
While almost serving as an allegory for migration and how challenging it can be to leave home and find a new one, this story just felt only somewhat realized, a little all over the place. Many kids will probably still find it enjoyable, but it wasn't my favorite.
Crocodile’s story begins with a rocket’s eye view of planet Earth and this line... “Everything will be better where I’m going, he thought. But where is that?”
Crocodile must leave his home behind due to misfortunes and food shortage.
Crocodile’s journey across the sea takes him to towering cities, arid deserts, and lovely countrysides. All are beautiful and unique, but each is more unwelcoming than the last. Crocodile is told over and over that this is “NOT YOUR LAND.”
Frustrated, he decides to nap and dreams of safe and happier times when he was with friends and family. He wakes to a community of nice mice who are happy to take him in even though he is very much unlike the mice. Crocodile slowly learns the ways of the mice and begins to build fresh, and happy memories. He’s happy, yet something is missing. Enter the family and Crocodile’s joy is complete.
There are a few messages here... acceptance, rejection, Immigrants, perseverance, family.
The art work was my favorite. It is very detailed and I enjoyed studying the illustrations especially Crocodile’s expressions.
This would be a good thought provoking book to introduce the topic of refugees and immigrants.
I received an electronic ARC from Flyaway Books through NetGalley. Slegers has created a relatable story for elementary level readers. Crocodile has to flee his home for reasons beyond his control. He finds new places but doesn't feel at home. Then he faces nastiness from those who live there. Finally, he finds a place and people who welcome him even though he's different. He tries new foods and adapts to the new environment. Finally, he's at peace when his family joins him there. The illustrations are meaningful to support the story. My heart broke on one spread where all he faced were literal signs of anger and hate. Lovely way to describe what so many are going through in our world. Plenty of discussion topics for a family or class to compare and contrast their own and others journeys. This book touches my heart as I work with so many who met this type of reaction on top of the emotional and physical damage done in their homelands. This book will be an excellent tool for helping younger readers share their emotions and responses.
Crocodile's Crossing: A Search for Home by Yoeri Slegers, PICTURE BOOK Flyaway Books, 2020, $17. 9781947888210
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Crocodile is forced to leave his home (it was damaged, no food, things were bad) he sets off in a boat looking for a new home, but no one wants him. He is told he is too green, too scary, his teeth are too big. Finally, when his resources are gone and he has almost given up hope, an island of mice take him in. (cue Lilliput set) He lives almost happily ever after with them except, he's still missing a piece of his life - he's the only crocodile.
I liked the sweet illustrations, and see that it is a metaphor about refugees. An interesting way to introduce the plight of the refugees to young readers. It's hopeful. Includes a link to a discussion guide and resources. More for use in a classroom than an independent read or for story time.
Thank you to the publisher for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This beautiful book will gently introduce the topics of immigration and refugees to your little ones. They may have heard the words in school or maybe even overheard them being discussed by the grownups in their world. They might have asked the meanings of the words. If that is the case, or if you would like to introduce them to these concepts in a way they can understand, this is the perfect book.
Crocodile loved his home. He had plenty to eat, was surrounded by family and felt safe. But then things changed. After the trouble began, he was hungry and scared. He knew the time had come to find a better place for his family to live. He traveled a long distance and finally found a new home, but what he found was so different. Instead of being welcomed, he was told to go home because he was a different color, had huge teeth and was just too big. He didn’t understand and he was just so tired and so, so hungry. He dreamed of going home, but he knew he must try to find a place for his family. Suddenly his life changed though, because a colony of mice found him, cared for him and helped him adjust to the new place and the new food.
This story will help you begin an important conversation with your children so they can better understand how to help an immigrant child who joins their class or playgroup, just as the mice helped Crocodile. You can discuss specific ways they can be a friend to their new classmate and also help them to understand how lonely and frightened that child must be. It’s available 4.14.20. Ages 3-7.
This book seems to have good intentions to help children understand the plight of refugees, but the metaphor of the crocodile representing a refugee fundamentally breaks down because crocodiles actually are dangerous.
Of the crocodile's reception when trying to find a new home, it reads:
"You're so big! You're so green!" everyone cried. "Those enormous teeth look so dangerous. Nobody wants a crocodile here. Go away!"
The page has signs reading GET OUT, NOT OUR KIND, BEWARE, and similar, with the crocodile looking sad and hugging himself while wearing a life jacket and backpack. Following the metaphor, the reader is supposed to sympathize with the crocodile. But crocodiles ARE dangerous!
My 8 year old, at this point in the story, turned to me and said, "Is this going to be something bad about refugees, like that people will be nice to him and then he'll turn out to eat them? Because some people do think that refugees are dangerous and don't want them in our country."
It is understandable that the metaphor was puzzling. The happy ending is that Crocodile is accepted by a bunch of mice who help him and who he helps in return. He is later joined by his family. But he clearly never fits in....he is giant and they are tiny. He lives squished in a tiny mouse world from which he cartoonishly stands out. And....crocodiles eat mice...even though this crocodile doesn't. So he's an exception?
I applaud what I assume is the intent of the book, but....I don't think I'd be adding it to a library collection.
Received book in GR Giveaway. At first like some other readers, I'd wondered the age of the main character, but it became more evident as time went on, and particularly the end. The main story I found heartwarming and even teared up at the mean-spiritedness and discrimination others unleashed upon poor Crocodile, who was only trying to find a suitable home for he and his family that was being destroyed by climate change I would imagine. Finally, he was welcomed to he and his family's future home. He worked hard and became part of the community, as many immigrants must do. I did find that the story ended somewhat abruptly. It would've been good to have 2-4 more pages illustrating his family moving in and making friends also. I wished there hadn't been that commercial aspect in which the mice accepted him as an unusual oddity, and marketing his likeness. But that is how it is in real life at times.
When Crocodile is forced to leave his home (it was damaged, no food, things were bad) he sets off in a boat looking for a new home, but no one wants him. He is told he is too green, to scary, his teeth are too big. Finally, when his resources are gone and he has almost given up hope, an island of mice take him in. (cue Lilliput set) He lives almost happily ever after with them except, he's still missing a piece of his life - he's the only crocodile.
I liked the sweet illustrations, and see that it is a metaphor about refugees. An interesting way to introduce the plight of the refugees to young readers. It's hopeful. Includes a link to a discussion guide and resources. More for use in a classroom than an independent read or for story time.
Crocodile has a nice home and everything he needs until things start getting bad and he has to flee. No matter where he tries to go, someone doesn’t want him. Until finally, he finds a place. He learns to love his new place, even though everything is so different.
A beautiful book to open the conversation about immigration. Crocodile, with his big green body and scary (although not too scary) white teeth, has a hard time getting accepted in safe places because he looks big and scary. But Crocodile has feelings and hopes, just like everyone else.
As an educator, I’ll use Crocodile’s Crossing to open a conversation about immigration, hosting, and colonialism with my high school history class. Parents will love the questions Crocodile’s Crossing brings up and fitting in and accepting others.
The illustrations are bright and delightful and full of talking points.
Crocodile's home is no longer safe and livable. He is out to search for a new place to live. He searches far and wide but no one seems to welcome him because he is too green or scary. In his continued search, he finds mice that welcome him and help. He finally feels safe.
A great read to talk about what home means and how we can make others feel safe. The illustrations are kid friendly and the message is one that will last a life time.
A Special Thank you to Flyaway Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
An engaging story that explores what it means when home is not home anymore and life has thrown a curve. Applicable to immigration certainly, with a crocodile who must search for a new home among places that are not immediately welcoming while leaving his family behind, this story could also open conversations about friendship, homelessness, and perseverance. The handling of this tough subject matter is done in a way that feels safe for very small readers and listeners, as well as sophisticated enough for deeper conversation and themes of older readers as well.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book as a digital ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book courtesy of Flyaway Books in exchange for my honest opinion. As a pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) I am so impressed by this book that discusses the topic of being a refugee! I believe young children should be engaged into conversations about what is going on in the world, but this should be done in a developmentally appropriate way. Bravo to this book, because it surely does that! The main character is a refugee and his experience can give children an example of what a new child in their classroom, for example, may be experiencing. Tackled such a tough topic with tact!
I think this book discusses an important topic but I'm not sure young children would really understand it. As I was reading, I found it hard to understand why the crocodile had gone alone and not with his family. For me the book touched on important points like learning to live and be accepted in a new place but was mostly about being alone. I'm not sure a young child can put themselves in a situation of being alone without parents, so for me I'm not really sure how I would use it in my classroom.
This book is a story about a crocodile forced to leave his home. Going more in depth about why the crocodile has to leave his home would be a helpful addition to the story. It was not evident that the crocodile had a wife and family, or what age he was supposed to be. Additionally, the ending was abrupt. If it went into more about the ‘missing piece’ I think it would be better to round of the story as a whole. Illustrations were great, helped tell the story.
I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Flyaway Books in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book, but I wish it had been slightly longer with a few more details about Crocodile’s journey and how he and his family reunite. That being said, this book would help parents and teachers begin the conversation about immigration and refugees with children.
.It is a cute tale about a crocodile. He is looking for his home, cosy and comfortable. For that he takes his red bagpack and sets on a journey. This book details that journey. Story is simple and interesting and easily understandable by kids. Artwork is eye-catching and vivid. A perfect primer to inspire kid to read. Thanks edelweiss plus and publisher for review copy.
This is a story of a crocodile whose home is no longer safe for him and his family, so he begins a search for a new one. It's a gentle and touching story about a refugee. Children will feel empathy for the plight of Crocodile, and he's also a hero to root for. I highly recommend this story.
Thanks to #netgalley and #flyaway books for the advance reading copy.
This story is about Crocodile who is searching for a home. He had to leave the home and family that he loved because it was no longer safe for him. Eventually, he finds a new home that is different from the old one, but still good. What's really great about this book is the space that is left for kids and grownups to talk about why someone might want to leave their home and their family.
A very cute book about a crocodile who has to leave home and is in search of a new place to call home. The art style of this book was really charming and the story was sweet. I think that the message of this book about never giving up and finding a new home was quite sweet. i think kids would really enjoy this book!
An excellent book to introduce the experiences of refugees to the picture book crowd. With Crocodile as an anthropomorphic stand-in for a refugee, the focus isn't on the circumstances that caused him to leave home but on the hardships of being a foreigner and making a new home. I love the brave mice who welcomed him and became his friends. Recommended for ages 4-7.
This was a cute book about finding a new home. I work with kids in foster care and while this book is about immigration I think it’ll be helpful with the kids i work with too. The illustrations were nicely done.
--RECEIVED AS PART OF LIBRARYTHING'S EARLY REVIEW--
This is a lovely book; it is a bit scary, but in an age appropriate way, and it is dealing with very scary subjects that kids need to know about. The illustrations are cute, but still mesh well with the story.
What a great way to explain the experience of being a refugee to kids and their adults! I love the story and the art. Since it's about animals, it helps relax the reader and create space for learning instead of defensiveness.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting interpretation of the immigrant experience. I liked the crocodile character. The story wasn't my favorite, but I like the idea of it and the pictures.
Crocodile's Crossing brought the idea of moving from one's home to a new land in a simple, child friendly format. Lovely illustrations, simple text and a hope shine in this book. Two thumbs up for this book!
really cute book with good illustrations! This is a story about a crocodile who leaves home and tries to find a new place to fit in. As he continues his adventure he soon realizes that home wouldn't feel safe without his family by his side.