The Enormous Crocodile

by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Overview

The Enormous Crocodile decides that he wants a nice juicy child for lunch, horrifying the other animals in the jungle—his friend, the Notsobig One; Humpy-Rumpy, the hippopotamus; Trunky, the elephant; Muggle-Wump, the monkey; and the Roly-Poly Bird. Despite his secret plans and clever tricks, what the boastful crocodile doesn't know is that the brave jungle animals have plans of their own for him!

In the end, the Enormous Crocodile gets exactly what he deserves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780140365566
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/01/1993
Series:	Skylark Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	15,821
Product dimensions:	7.74(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.17(d)
Lexile:	600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl Web site: www.roalddahl.com

Date of Birth:

September 13, 1916

Date of Death:

November 23, 1990

Place of Birth:

Llandaff, Wales, England

Place of Death:

Oxford, England

Editorial Reviews

This is the story of Enormous Crocodile who is incredibly hungry and incredibly greedy. He tells his friend Notsobig Crocodile, "For my lunch today I would like a nice juicy little child." Then he goes about using "secret plans and clever tricks" to find a child to eat. But the Notsobig One tells him, "You've never done anything clever in your life! You're the stupidest croc on the whole river!" which lets young listeners know right away that this is going to be a silly story, with just enough scariness to make it fun. The Enormous Crocodile encounters other animals in the jungle that, one by one, foil his plans to find a yummy child and eventually teach him a lesson he won't soon forget. Quentin Blake's clever illustrations are a perfect match for Dahl's lyrical text as Enormous Crocodile tries to get close to a child by posing as a coconut tree, a seesaw, and an animal ride on the merry-go-round, among other not-so-clever disguises. 2003 (orig. 1978), Puffin Books,
— Suzanne Lieurance

Children's Literature

The Enormous Crocodile decides he'd like a juicy little child for lunch; and his animal friends are horrified. Nonetheless he proceeds on his plans of trickery and deception, eventually bagging just what he deserves. Kids will want parental assistance or good reading skills to enjoy Enormous Crocodile, a zany, fun story of a crocodile's evil plans.
—Childrens Book Watch

Childrens Book Watch