Kitty Black (text) and Daron Parton (illustrator), A Crocodile in the Family, Hachette Australia, August 2020, 32pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780734419507
A Crocodile in the Family is a picture book by emerging author Kitty Black. Gorgeously illustrated by Daron Parton it has all the ingredients of a delightful children’s story.
Set in the Australian bush, the basic premise of the story is that a family of birds adopt an egg out of which hatches a crocodile. The other bush animals are concerned about this addition to the family and quiz the birds about their choice. Do they keep him because he’s beautiful, strong, or helpful? The birds continue to answer in the negative until when pushed they answer that they keep him because he belongs and that’s that.
Whilst the themes of adoption, celebrating differences, and families of choice are all present and quite sweetly portrayed, I couldn’t get past the fact that a family had willingly welcomed a predator into their midst. This improbable scenario hindered my enjoyment of an otherwise charming and humourously illustrated picture book.
Recommended for readers aged 3+ years, I imagine that my observations and concerns would not occur to most young children. For children who are deep thinkers or particularly observant, I would hesitate to recommend this book. It could provide opportunities to discuss why it might not be such a good idea to welcome a crocodile into a bird’s nest, or indeed opportunities to discuss the difference between fiction and reality. Otherwise, it is a perfectly acceptable early childhood story book with some potential for illustrating that not all families are the same.
Reviewed by Anne Varnes
