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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607002874199 | Picture Books | MILLER | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
Gorgeously illustrated, this is the story of a crocodile and a crocodile bird. These animals exist in a symbiotic relationship. Crocodile birds pick leeches and lice from the crocodile's skin and cry out whenever they see danger. In this story, Winston is a patient crocodile, George is a prankster, and their story is both sweet and dramatic.
John Miller spent much of his youth tramping about the woods and swamps of Morris County, New Jersey. Later, these adventures inspired his children's books and articles.
Giuliano Cucco was an artist and illustrator. He and his wife were killed in a traffic accident in Rome in 2006. He is survived by a son and two grandchildren.
Author Notes
John Miller spent much of his grade school years with friends, tramping about the woods, lakes, rivers and swamps of Morris County, New Jersey. These adventures inspired his children's books and articles about beavers, trout, starlings and other animals for many magazines.
Giuliano Cucco was an artist and illustrator. He and his wife were killed by a motor scooter driver in a pedestrian crossing in Rome in 2006. He is survived by a son and two grandchildren.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Practical jokers, beware! Winston, a patient crocodile, and his flighty friend, a crocodile bird named George, have been companions for a long time. Their symbiotic relationship allows them to work together to find fish and then share the meal. George enjoys playing practical jokes on Winston and his crocodile friends, getting a kick out of fooling the larger animals. The other crocodiles, fed up with George, implore Winston to just eat him and be done with it. But Winston enjoys spending time with his playful pal, so he rejects the suggestion, and the two continue as a team. One day, George's joke goes too far, putting his friend in real danger. Thinking the crocodile bird is up to his old tricks, the other river animals ignore his pleas for help. In order to save Winston, George must offer to make the ultimate sacrifice. Rich, saturated pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations in brilliant blues, lush greens, and deep browns and a bright orange George are a pleasure to peruse. With Aesop's "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" theme, this swampy story, written, illustrated, stored away, and forgotten for 50 years, offers a moral that is true and powerful: no one will believe a liar, even when he's telling the truth.-Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Best friends George, a crocodile, and Winston, a crocodile bird, take symbiosis to a new level. Winston perches on George's snout and alerts him whenever he spies a fish; then George dives deep in the water, taking the fish to shore "where they enjoyed many a delicious meal together." Despite their mutual affection, Winston can't resist playing pranks on George and the other crocodiles, such as shouting "Danger!" just to see the reptiles make big splashes in the water. When Winston takes his pranking too far, and George is placed at real risk, it results in a true test of their friendship. Cucco creates a highly appealing jungle landscape of chunky cartoons and vivid color contrasts-Winston is (ironically) safety orange, while lime-green George has a hot pink tongue. As an author's note explains, while Miller and the late Cucco wrote and illustrated their picture books in 1960s Italy before losing touch with each other, this is the first of their works to see publication. Both a throwback and fully modern, it's a charming story of devoted friendship-feathers, scales, and all. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.