Be Yourself. Everyone else is taken.

I’ve been reading a lot lately but having trouble feeling inspired to write reviews. Fortunately I never have any trouble blathering on about picture books. I’m a life long reader, grew up surrounded by books and live in a house full of children’s books. Reading is important to me. Inspiring children to love books is important to me. Even before they can read, they can love books.
Crocodiles are one of my favourite animals (someone once tried to tell me that adults shouldn’t have Favourite Animals but they were clearly Adulting wrong), so I was drawn to this book by the title, before I even saw the delightful illustrations or read the story. The illustrations are simple but excellent. The crocodile and his siblings all have a distinctive look that is very expressive and there are adorable little touches, like that our hero wears red rubber boots to keep his feet dry.
The message of Be Yourself is important and woven in so beautifully. Not to go on a rant (so here goes) but books/ movies/ TV for children don’t need to be hit-you-with-a-brick obvious morality tales. Who likes being preached to? No body. Too much of the media directed at kids is boring and obvious and preachy. Blah. This book is adorable and funny AND has a great message.
This is a book about being yourself and finding out who you are. The little crocodile doesn’t like the water and feels left out because all his brothers and sisters love to splash around. He saves up his tooth fairy money (which… you guys, he’s a crocodile, that’s A LOT of teeth, get it?) to buy a swim ring so he can play with them. It doesn’t help though, because he just really doesn’t like the water. He wants to climb trees instead. He tries to participate and fit in but it just doesn’t work. He doesn’t like water. In the end he discovers an important truth about himself, which, No Spoilers, but: “He was born to fly!” is the last line of the book. It’s an Ugly Duckling story, but with crocodiles.
This lovely picture book is the first by this author. I’m a big fan and I hope she writes many more. Her next book is called The Cow Who Climbs A Tree. She seems to have a theme, of following your own path and doing your own thing to be happy. I am about that life.