I'd Really Like to Eat a Child - Sylviane Donnio

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

The title of this children's picture book brought me up short when I saw it at the library, and then I just had to pick it up. I loved it.

Little Achilles Crocodile has always eaten bananas for his breakfast, and every morning, his mother compliments him on how big and strong he's getting. But one day, he decides he's not going to eat his bananas. What he really would like is to eat a child.

"But children don't grow on trees!" his mother points out, and tries to get him to eat his bananas. He refuses.

So his father goes to the market and brings back a huge sausage. No good-Achilles wants to eat a child.

His parents get smart and whip up Achilles' favorite dessert - a huge, gooey chocolate cake. No dice - he's not interested.

While his parents wonder what to offer him next, Achilles decides to head down to the river for a nice swim. And what does he see there but a child! A nice juicy child!

He gets all ready to pounce when she turns and sees him. "What a cute tiny little crocodile!" she says. It's true, he is rather small, but she really didn't need to point it out like that, now, did she?

Achilles stomps back to his parents and tells them he's ready to eat. He's going to eat everything he can, so he can grow big and strong and so he really can eat a child!

This quirky book doesn't seem to have a moral and in fact, it's a little odd. But that's one of the reasons I loved it. Not everything in this world has to make perfect sense, now, does it?

(This book was published in 2004 by Random House Kids and was illustrated by Dorothee de Monfreid.)

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Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I am a stay-at-home mom, author of eight published books, a freelance editor, and the mother of four incredible children. I enjoy scrapbooking, watching good movies, and taking naps.

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