From an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.
A crocodile is hardly the companion you'd think of as someone who might be kind to birds. I think a better subject could have been chosen, but if you're willing to let that slide, then this was a fun book nicely and amusingly illustrated by Daron Parton and well-written by Kitty Black.
The birds find a stray egg and naturally take it home with them to raise the chick as their own, but it's all a croc! The chick isn't all the egg is cracked up to be! It's green with a large jaw and some dangerous claws, and you might think that bites, but this is Australia where they have bites for breakfast. And we certainly shouldn't expect everyone else to be just like us - in fact that's the whole point of the story!
Croccy grows large and enjoys dancing and wearing colorful sweaters, and he always helps people crossing the river. The family is often asked if one or another of these various aspects of his personality are the reason why they keep him, but the answer is always no. I fully expected the answer at the end to be "Because we love him" but it isn't! Now you'll have to read it to find out what that answer is!
