Bill and Pete

When William Everett Crocodile's mother takes him shopping for a toothbrush, he comes home with a bird named Pete--cute, but de Paola never does let on that along the Nile where William Everett lives there are birds who actually perform that service for crocodiles. Here Pete functions mainly as a friend, teaching the crocodile how to spell his name (BILL) when ""William Everett"" proves too long for a first grader to master, and later picking the lock of the cage where Bill has been imprisoned by ""the Bad Guy"" who plans to turn him into a suitcase. Once freed, Bill sends the frightened Bad Guy packing (""all the way to Cairo""); then Bill and Pete enjoy the ""nice dinner"" that had been prepared for the human. That innocuous ending makes you wonder why Bill needed Pete in the first place--even if de Paola has his tongue in his cheek, the result is still a crocodile story without teeth. Nevertheless, at a time when the Eygptian setting alone will guarantee an audience, it's a treat to see it handled with de Paola's winning insouciance. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.