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Adventurous Anna and cautious
Crocodile take a trip to the moon and back to Earth.
Anna wants to go to the moon, but
Crocodile warns, “It will be almost impossible.” Undeterred, Anna responds, “I
like that.…Let’s go!” Crocodile finds a hold-up at every turn. They need “special
skills,” like math. Luckily, Anna can count backward from five. They need lots
of patience. (“And now?” appears opposite “No” or “Still not” nine times in
funny, eye-catching columns.) Anna figures Crocodile’s patience can do for them
both. Crocodile makes the sandwiches while Anna builds the rocket, and they
blast off. They play a game in the no-gravity zone, and after a short nap, they
land on the moon. From the moon, Anna decides that “Poor Earth” misses them,
and they head back home. Watercolor illustrations show brown-skinned,
puffy-black-haired Anna, green-skinned Crocodile, and their colorful, patchwork
confection of a rocket against white space at home and against deep, dark,
star-studded skies on their journey. The moon and Earth are rendered in
intriguing textural and color combinations. The contrast between Anna’s and
Crocodile’s personalities allows audiences of different inclinations a way into
the story.
The story is fun—and the artwork
shines. (Picture book. 3-7)
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