Crocodile Tears
Age 7+
Poetry
A wonderfully zany tale from the inimitable pen of Roger McGough, about a crocodile who comes to London – and his experiences.
The crocodile said to the chimpanzee,
“Chimpanzee, I want to be free.
The jungle jangle’s not for me.”
Bored with jungle life, and deciding 'a croc's gotta do what a croc's gotta do', a young crocodile, cleverly disguising himself as a large banana, is transported to London. He's promised to write to his mum every day, and his letters start off full of fun and excitement as he describes the big city from a crocodile's point of view. But then winter comes. Cold and hungry, he cries real tears, not the crocodile kind: 'I had my fill of city life, It made me ill'. It's time to go back to the jungle, and tell his friends all about his amazing experiences.
Crocodile says goodbye to the jungle and heads for the bright lights of London to find freedom and adventure. But despite the famous sights, city life on a stone-cold street begins to pall...
Will crocodile tears become real tears for friends, family and home?
A fantastic picture book for reading aloud by poetry legend Roger McGough and award-winning animator Greg McLeod.
Creators
Roger McGough is probably Britain's most famous and best-loved poet, author of over 50 books for adults and children. Born in Liverpool in 1937, he originally rose to fame as a member of The Scaffold, the pop music/poetry group whose most famous song was 'Lily the Pink'.
Greg McLeod is an illustrator and animator, winner of an Association of Illustrators Gold Award for his work on the BBC comedy animation 'Sticks' and has had frequent BAFTA nominations for his work for children. He lives in Stratford on Avon.
