Crocodile Listens

A picture book illustrated by JoEllen McAllister Stammen published by Greenwillow Books, 2001.

"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

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

"A crocodile waits and listens, ignoring the giraffes thumping by, the warthogs tromping, and the croaking frog that would make a wonderful snack. Finally, she hears her babies' cries and she digs them out of the sand so they can hatch. Using beautifully simple language ("Like an ancient dinosaur/with scraggly teeth-"), Sayre introduces information about the Nile crocodile while maintaining the immediacy of a story. . .The animal sounds integrated into the text will make this a hit at storytimes, and an endnote gives additional facts about the Nile crocodile."
- School Library Journal