Crocodile Smile: 10 Songs of the Earth as the Animals See It - Hardcover

Weeks, Sarah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060228679 ISBN 13: 9780060228675

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1994

Synopsis

Ten songs, each from a different endangered animal's point of view, offer a stunning anthem to our planet and its inhabitants.

About this title

About the Author:

Sarah Weeks is an author, singer, and songwriter. Her many books for young readers include the My First I Can Read Book Splish, Splash!, illustrated by Ashley Wolff, and the I Can Read Books Baa-Choo!, Pip Squeak, and Drip, Drop, all illustrated by Jane Manning. She lives in New York City and the Catskill Mountains.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 4-This unique picture-book and tape set provides a fresh look at the Earth from the perspective of some of its most important inhabitants, endangered animals. The lyrics for each of the 10 songs are printed in the book along with a portrait of the featured animal, creating a gallery effect. With a tone more heartfelt than preachy, the songs celebrate our planet while offering a gentle environmental message. The language is simple, poetic, and rhythmic. The first song describes the jungle as "Home to cheetah/Home to bat/Home to human wearing hat/Monkey and machete swing high/Under same blue sky." In "Pretty Tree," a guileless giant panda wonders at the funny sound "(chop! chop!)" that shakes the ground beneath his bamboo tree. Some of the selections are a little lighter in tone. In "I've Never Eaten a Princess," a Komodo dragon complains about the negative image perpetuated by fairy tales, and a great egret declares with great dignity, "I am not a hat." Weeks's crystal-clear voice is pleasant to listen to and the catchy tunes have a nice variety of tempos and styles. While younger listeners will find the music appealing, the lyrics are sophisticated enough to interest older children. Ehlert's brightly colored-collage illustrations are breathtaking. Presented against a clean background of brilliant orange and deep green, the simply constructed images capture the essence of each animal. A Galapagos tortoise lumbers slowly across the page on huge, knobbed, green legs, and a green-eyed tiger shows off his stunning coat of stripes. Although the songs could be read aloud, this invitingly innovative look and listen at planet Earth works best as a package.
Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0060228679
• ISBN 13: 9780060228675
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Ehlert Lois