Crocodile Listens

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Crocodile Listens

Like an ancient dinosaur

with scraggly teeth,

Crocodile lies in the sand.

Birds call. Rivers run.

Baboons file past.

And all the while,

Crocodile listens.

A tasty frog croaks. Delicious warthogs tromp by. Crocodile doesn’t move. She hasn’t eaten in weeks. But she only lies and listens. Crocodile has a secret hidden in the sand.

Posted On: Wednesday, August 1st, 2001
Filed Under: Books, Picture Books - Nonfiction

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Awards & Recognition

2002 2 x 2 Reading List of books recommended for children ages two through second grade - Texas Library Association

Reviews

"Natural history for the younger set manages to be playful without being precious. Sayre tells the story of the first few hours of a life of a crocodile's brood in short, sharp sentences that recall her earlier work (Dig, Wait, Listen) and that capture well the African wildlife rumbling around a mother crocodile as she waits for her eggs to hatch...By refusing to sentimentalize the mother crocodile's role, the author and illustrator encourage readers to see beyond stereotypes and look at the natural world with a more balanced eye." - Kirkus Review

"Using beautifully simple language ('Like an ancient dinosaur/with scraggly teeth. . .'), Sayre introduces information about the Nile crocodile while maintaining the immediacy of the a story. . .The animal sounds integrated into the text will make this a hit at storytimes, and an endnote gives additional information about the Nile crocodile." - School Library Journal

"The repetition of animal sounds, the suspense of the hatching, and the high-interest topic makes this title a good candidate for reading aloud to preschoolers and primary graders." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Teaching Resources

Readers’ Comments

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