Review by Booklist Review
In Meza's accessible SEL tale about what happens to a little girl after her best friend moves away, two crocodiles appear: one weeps incessantly while the other smashes things and takes up all the space in the room. As the girl tells her story, the comical-looking crocodiles move in quietly and are soon following her everywhere, drowning out everything with their weeping and smashing. No one else can see the reptiles, indicating how isolating depression can be. The girl can't concentrate on schoolwork or even playtime. Finally, she stops ignoring them. The gray crocodile says his name is Sadness, and the girl and crocodile hug each other. The brown crocodile says his name is Anger, and they scream together. The girl learns to confront her emotions, feel them, and express them. The collage-like illustrations are engaging and comical, lightening the serious subject. This wonderful extended metaphor should be a great tool for kids experiencing loss.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Big life changes bring unexpected emotions. After the protagonist's best friend, Ana, moves away, the child experiences a whirlwind of feelings. The days seem to stretch on forever, and school feels different. Quietly, the crocodiles arrive. The brown one is loud, leaving overturned toys and household objects in the wake of her tantrums; the gray one's sobbing fits keep the youngster from reading. Only the child can see them, and though the protagonist attempts to ignore them, they continue to intrude. Finally, on a family vacation, the youngster confronts both crocodiles: The child hugs the gray one (Sadness) and cries with her, then screams with the brown one (Anger) until their rage subsides. Having achieved catharsis, the young narrator feels much better and looks forward to spending a day with Ana in the future. Meza's straightforward, compassionate text is firmly rooted in children's natural--at times seemingly irrational--emotions. Created with paper, colored pencil, and Photoshop, her naïve, earth-toned illustrations make use of geometric shapes, complementing the story well. Sharp-eyed readers will spot Sadness and Anger lurking in the background of numerous spreads early on--underscoring the idea that complex feelings are always with us, even if we aren't consciously aware of them. The protagonist is tan-skinned; other characters vary in skin tone. An empathetic tale, ideal for helping little ones ride out the storm of turbulent emotions.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
