Time to Read: Crocodiles are the Best Animals of All! - Tapa blanda

One to Watch: A vibrantly illustrated read aloud treat, shortlisted for the Dahl Funny Prize.

Taylor and Shaw are perfectly paired in this vibrantly illustrated read aloud treat that was deservedly shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. There is a gentle moral message, and I suspect it will stand any number of re-readings.

Sean Taylor's playful rhyme has a Julia Donaldson style charm to it and Hannah Shaw's toothy animals add to the fun as the boastful croc is forced to learn an important new skill - being humble!

Rhyming text and humourous pictures make for great amusement and a terrific readaloud.

Hannah Shaw's illustrations for crocodiles are particularly great. They have a quirky simplicity that brings out the story's humour, as crocodile tries to show how is the best at everything.

Lots of rhyme and aliteration tempt young children to have fun reading this book... It's a cautionary tale which usefully shows that it is wrong to boast but also that it's okay to be proud of what you can do. The bold expressive illustrations make the point perfectly.

The story is written in rhyme with lots of amusing comments and comical pictures. It is great to read aloud.. The story ends with a lovely simple twist ad could be used with older children to help them understand about being boastful!

The animals watch in amazement as Crocodile demonstrates how he is the best animal of all. He can climb better than Mountain Goat, he can hop higher than Kangaroo. He can even swing through the trees better that an orangutan. But Donkey knows of something that Crocodile can't do and sets out to prove that donkeys are best after all.

Created in consultation with literacy specialist, Prue Goodwin, this edition contains the complete story, re-designed to help support children who are gaining confidence in reading. 

To visit Hannah Shaw's website click here