What is a Crocodile's Favourite Thing?

Well, what IS a crocodile’s favourite thing?  It isn’t ‘doing a ballet while dressed as a princess’ or ‘riding a tricycle made of jelly on the moon’ or any of the myriad other things that this wacky picture book suggests.  The author tells us ‘this is a very silly book’ and he is so right!  It’s also a very funny book and the illustrations are wondrous.  The animals who try to decide just what the crocodile likes best are square at the bottom and round at the top, and while they are ostensibly a monkey, a racoon (I think), an elephant, and a lion, they are beings like no others.  The whole production is so full of unusual concepts and imaginative ideas that it simply explodes with animation.  And the poor crocodile must put up with all the silly ideas thrown at him!  When we finally discover just what the croc likes best of all, it isn’t really a surprise, knowing what crocodiles are like!  Ben Hawkes is a new talent and definitely one to watch.  Oh, and I do hope his ‘dedication’ worked:  ‘This book is dedicated to my love Zinia – will you marry me?’