HOW TO FIX THE SMILE OF A CROCODILE

A small friend makes a big difference in this illustrated children’s book.

Barry, an Australian saltwater crocodile, has a toothache and doesn’t know what to do. When a pal, Egyptian plover bird Cleo, offers to help, Barry shrugs her off. How could this little creature solve such a huge problem? Instead, Barry seeks out larger ocean animals for advice. First, he encounters an octopus, who only has tips about tentacles. After the octopus leaves him in an ink cloud, Barry pursues his next adviser, a sperm whale, Earth’s loudest creature. When this animal can’t help, Barry asks a speedy sailfish, a fierce great white shark, and an enormous blue whale. None of them know what to do, but the blue whale suggests consulting an orca, the smartest creature in the ocean. The orca’s solution is easy: “You don’t need the fastest, the biggest, the loudest, the fiercest or even the smartest friend to help you. You only need the kindest friend.” Unsure what to do with this counsel, Barry swims home, where Cleo is still waiting to assist him. In one quick swoop, she plucks out the offending food from where it’s causing Barry pain, saving her friend. Kurien uses the best animals in their categories to emphasize the contrast between those mighty creatures and little Cleo. While there’s a lot of text, the easy-to-read font and the large, frequently two-page spread pictures move readers smoothly from scene to scene. Some unfamiliar words (slithered, conical, gaping) are likely to push emergent readers to expand their vocabularies. Paj’s digitally painted illustrations provide details to help young readers decipher the clues, and the Disney-esque character designs have plenty of kid appeal. The soft edges work especially well in the underwater environments, and Paj employs dynamic techniques to imply movement. Cleo’s wings are especially vivid, depicted as a blur when she’s flying next to her friend. While the relationship between plovers and crocodiles is well known, budding naturalists may wonder if an Egyptian bird would help an Australian reptile.

A whimsical ocean adventure that emphasizes friendship and features vibrant images.