Princess Cora and the Crocodile

Written by Laura Amy Schlitz
Illustrated by Brian Floca

            Saved by a crocodile? Yes, in this lively tale of an overworked, bored princess it is possible to be saved by a crocodile.

            Cora is bored with her lessons and very lonely. All she wants is a dog. She writes a letter to her fairy godmother, tears it up and throws it out the window. But the pieces sprout wings and fly away. The next morning, a box is at the end of Cora’s bed. Her crocodile has arrived.

            The crocodile dresses up like the princess, in her pink frilly dress, to take her place. Cora gets a day off. It is a touching story full of great illustrations and huge laughs. Librarians and teachers can use it for read aloud time or parents for bedtime reading with their children.

            Nanny and the king both come around to the thoughts that a dog would be much better than this crocodile who likes to bite people. Of course, he prefers cream puffs and only bites people who are not nice to Cora.

            While the crocodile was causing all sorts of trouble back at the castle, Cora learned to be brave by climbing trees, building a fort and stepping in a cow pie. By the time her parents finally asked her what was wrong, she had the courage to speak up and tell them what she needed to be happy.

            While this is not a beginning chapter book, it is an early chapter book. It has short chapters and will be greatly enjoyed by second and third grader readers who can navigate it on their own.

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  • Princess CoraTitle:  Princess Cora and the Crocodile
  • Author:  Laura Amy Schlitz
  • Illustrator:  Brian Floca
  • Publisher:  Candlewick, 2017
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format:  Hardcover, 80 pages
  • ISBN:  978-0-7636-4822-0
  • Genre: Fantasy Fiction
  • Grade level: K to 3

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