Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Meet Lyle

by Bernard Waber

This fun early reader is based on the major motion picture Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, inspired by the beloved children’s books by Bernard Waber!

When the Primm family moves to New York City and into the house on East 88th Street, they are surprised to find a crocodile living in their attic. But Lyle isn’t a regular crocodile—he’s playful, and friendly, and he can sing! Meet Lyle, the Primms, and their neighbors in this story based on the film.

Meet Lyle and Friends is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2022

About the author

Bernard Waber was the youngest in a creative family. At age 8, he ushered in a movie theater after school, so he often saw only the last ten minutes of a movie. He made a game of inventing beginnings and middles. When he returned from a tour of duty in World War II, he entered the Philadelphia College of Art. With a diploma and a new wife, he traveled to New York City, where he began working for the Condé Nast magazines as an illustrator. Reading books to his three children inspired him to apply his pen and ink and watercolor style to his own picture books. His first book, Lorenzo, was built in 1961. Today, his characters are some of the most beloved in the library. He and his wife, Ethel, live on Long Island.

Reviews

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derived from a major motion picture? And this is supposed to be a good thing for a children's book?

As noted by our friendly Goodreads blurber:

Lyle isn’t a regular crocodile—he’s playful, and friendly, and he can sing! Meet Lyle, the Primms, and their neighbors in this story based on the film.

And it's not supposed to matter that "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" was originally a series of books???

Seems to me, when book publishers attribute their work to a movie, when originally it was a book??? Something is very wrong.

MY FAVORITE QUOTATION FROM THIS BOOK

It's on Page 15.

Mr. Primm is Josh's father.
He was surprised to find
a crocodile living in their house!

So that's how life is? According to a book adapted from a "major motion picture" -- that actually was adapted and sexed up thanks to a beloved children's book.

AND YET, RATING THIS BOOK

In terms of the likely response of the intended readers, this would count as a FIVE STAR book.

Sigh!

Seems to me, we adults can help to shape the taste of young readers. Or we can win cheaply earned points with a highly derivative, fakely glam, book like this one.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, straightforward and unfamiliar. I know nothing about this show, so the book falls a bit flat for me.

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the whole thing. No complaints.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

[Allyson Goose · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 1st grader, who loved the movie “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” was proud to read this whole book independently. The book explains the plot of the movie, mostly with one sentence per page and lots of high frequency words.