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Summary
Summary
A jealous big sister learns a very loving lesson in this warm and funny picture book about sibling rivalry, featuring charming text and retro-nostalgic artwork.
Caroline Crocodile is not thrilled with her baby brother. He drools. A lot. But all Mama Crocodile ever says is how GORGEOUS he is! And so Caroline ventures into a baby shop to swap out her brother. Unfortunately, the baby panda is a fussy eater, the giraffe is missing scales, and the piglet isn't green. Turns out, the best younger sibling around might just be her own yellow-eyed, sharp-clawed, drooling baby brother.
Author Notes
Jan Ormerod was born in Australia on September 23, 1946. She attended art school and studied drawing, painting and sculpture. After completing her degree, she become an Associate of the Western Australian Institute of Technology and Design in Art Education, taught in secondary schools on enrichment programs for talented students, and lectured in a teacher's college and in art schools. Her first picture book, Sunshine, was published in 1981, won the Mother Goose Award, and was voted Australian Picture Book of the Year. She wrote and illustrated more than 50 books in her lifetime including Miss Mouse's Day, Lizzie Nonsense, Rhymes around the Day, Father Christmas and the Donkey, Ben Goes Swimming, Emily Dances, A Twist in the Tail, and Ponko and the South Pole. She also illustrated Sky Dancer by Jack Bushnell. She died after a long illness on January 23, 2013 at the age of 67.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Caroline Crocodile is not at all fond of her baby brother and can't understand why Mama Crocodile spends her time on him. One day, while her mother goes to a hat shop to make an exchange, Caroline spies The Baby Shop and sets out to make an exchange of her own. She trades her sibling for a series of other baby animals, including a panda, an elephant, and twin tigers. But each swap presents unexpected problems, and she is left with just one conclusion- that her baby brother is the right choice for her. Joyner's bright, busy illustrations evoke the work of Bernard Waber and H.A. Rey-a perfect fit for the timeless, classic feel of Ormerod's text. Giggles will ensue as the ridiculousness escalates. VERDICT Whether used one-on-one or in storytime, this engaging story will tickle kids' funny bones.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
It's lovely to have one more reminder of the late Ormerod's talent. Caroline Crocodile deems her baby brother a smelly, "no fun" drooler who "takes up all the room" on Mama Crocodile's lap. Stuck minding him in the shopping district, she does what any red-blooded, capitalist kid would do: she goes to the "Baby Shop" and tries to trade up. The shopkeeper doesn't miss a beat and matches Caroline with a series of substitute babies-a panda, an elephant, and twin tigers-all of which prove to be ill-advised (the panda devours a cafe's bamboo furniture; the elephant breaks the town fountain). It will come as no surprise that Ormerod handles Caroline's burning jealously and misplaced attempts to steer her own destiny with comedic deftness and emotional acuity, never overplaying her prose or premise. And while Ormerod was a gifted artist, she has a worthy collaborator in Joyner (The Terrible Plop). His composition and pacing feel effortless, and his repertoire of vivid expressions-which include Caroline's impressive gamut of looks as well as the panda's funny-creepy unchanging stare-makes every page pretty near perfect. Ages 3-6. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Caroline Crocodile does not like her baby brother because he is smelly, dribbly, and takes up all the space on Mama's lap. While her mother exchanges a hat, Caroline gets the idea to exchange her brother. Unfortunately, the babies at the baby store are not quite right. She gets a panda that's a fussy eater, an elephant that is too squirty, and twin tigers that are too much. Maybe her baby brother is just right after all? The illustrations that accompany the playful text are colorful and expressive, and while the humor of this story will not be lost on anyone, readers will be comforted that, at the book's conclusion, Mama still has a big kiss for Caroline, despite her penchant for trade-ins. Full of humor and heart, this will especially please older siblings. Watch their giggles grow to belly laughs.--Erickson, Tiffany Copyright 2015 Booklist