Crocodiles Need Friends, Too!

The narrating protagonist of this energetic picture book is a generous young crocodile with prodigious talents in crafts, performance, and more. So why can’t this multi-hyphenate reptile make any friends? The croc is trying to befriend their natural prey. Toro makes the protag enormously sweet and sympathetic: “It can be very lonely when the world doesn’t see who you are deep down,” they sigh, a relatable emotional truth that hits especially hard when even their own family proves dismissive (“Who cares what those other animals think? They’re food,” the young croc’s mother replies). But when a fire drives all the animals to the water’s edge, the eager croc seizes the moment, building a bridge to an island refuge and throwing a joyous party where no one is on the menu. Authenticity and connection can often seem at odds even without food-chain dynamics at play, but these pages reconcile the concepts via an abundance of empathy and comedy, all portrayed in thick-lined cartooning that favors blues, greens, and purples. Ages 4–8. (May)