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Weary of the mundane creatures inhabiting her yard, a young girl embarks upon a walkabout in search of a crocodile, which she has never seen. In her journey she encounters many unusual creatures, and asks each if it is a crocodile. The giraffe, unnamed by the text, answers, “No. A crocodile is not nearly as tall as I am, and it does not have such a pretty pattern.” “Then I am sorry to have troubled you,” says the narrator. A chance encounter with an emergent hatchling leads to a surprise for the young explorer. “The brand new creature laughed its brand new laugh, and said in its brand new voice, ‘No, I do not know [what a crocodile looks like]. I am a brand new creature and I know nothing at all.’ Then I began to laugh as well.” The brief descriptions of the animals in the narrative and the illustrations will leave no doubt in children’s minds as to the identities of the animals, but just in case, all creatures appear, labeled, on the endpapers. Warm earth tones prevail in the illustrations, successfully conveying a hazy aridness to a fanciful setting. Textured backgrounds and the feathered watercolors combine with delicate hues to create diaphanous images in an imaginative safari to friendship. (Picture book. 5-9)
