Cora’s parents love her dearly. So dearly, they worry about all the things that could go wrong. They want to make sure she is prepared, so they schedule her so that every minute of every day is spent in training. She takes three baths a day, she spends hours poring over boring books, and her father makes sure she gets a rigorous workout every single day. Cora is sick of it! She wants to be able to get dirty and play and have a dog. She writes her fairy godmother in desperation:
Nobody listens to me. My mother and father won’t let me have a pet and Nanny says I don’t even want one. But I do. And I’m sick and tired of everything.
Please help me.
Love,
Princess Cora
The next morning, a box with breathing holes in it is sitting at the foot of her bed. But it’s not the furry, golden dog she’d wished for, it’s a crocodile! What follows is a hilarious misadventure as Cora finally gets to play, and the crocodile takes her place during lessons.
You know it’s going to be great when one of the first things out of the crocodile’s mouth is “I bite.” The crocodile often resembles a two-year-old as much as a crocodile and gets into all sorts of trouble in his ridiculous Cora costume. Silliness and laughs abound.
Even though the crocodile gets most of the laughs, the story is about Cora and her parents. In an interview, Laura Amy Schlitz said, “It surprises me that there are so few picture books about the conflicts between parents and children. That’s odd, when you think about it, because this is where children live: with their parents, in a love-haunted combat zone. I’m not talking about abusive parents, or delinquent children; I’m talking about parents who are trying desperately to be good parents, and children who are trying hopelessly to be good children.” I was also struck by the fact that Cora retains her respectfulness. She never devolves into a brat, she doesn’t hate her parents, she doesn’t throw all of her responsibilities out the window. That’s for the crocodile. What Cora needs is some adventure, some play, and some independence.
Laura Amy Schlitz is one of my favorite children’s authors out there. Her books always seem to have a classic, timeless feel to them. They entertain and charm. Princess Cora and the Crocodile is no exception. She balances sweetness with humor and mischief. Brian Floca’s illustrations are a perfect match. If ever there was a perfect easy chapter book, this is it.
No comments:
Post a Comment