Arrivederci, Crocodile

May 27, 2019
Newbery Honoree Marcellino (Puss in Boots) had finished the text of this sequel to I, Crocodile but died before the illustrations were complete. After his death, Puybaret (Suite for Human Nature) was chosen to complete the work. The sequel opens as the Egyptian crocodile stews in a Paris sewer after escaping from Napoleon, who threatened to eat him—Puybaret paints the reptile chucking darts at Napoleon’s portrait. Napoleon, he reads in the newspaper, is planning a trip to Venice, and the croc, pasta on the mind, decides to follow. In Venice’s carnival atmosphere, the crocodile’s appearance is taken as an artful costume. He is welcomed and praised (“Extraordinary outfit!... And that appetite! Very crocodile”), his attendance at the grand ball climaxing in a dance sequence with a harlequin-clad partner. When Napoleon appears, prepared to dispatch the croc after plundering the city of its treasure, the Venetians defend their guest. Puybaret shares Marcellino’s knack for detailing costumes and architecture—spreads have the lively air of a marionette theater set—and the crocodile’s bon vivant personality and the slapstick ending help create a lively telling.
I, Crocodile was originally published in 1999, however, and some of the cultural references in this continuation, such as “Egyptian dances,” feel out of step with current conversations about appropriation and exoticism. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2019
This sequel to Marcellino's I, Crocodile (1999) follows the reptile as he emerges from hiding in the sewers of Paris to stow away on his former captor's Venice-bound caravan. The backstory--in which Napoleon snatched the crocodile out of Egypt--is summarized on the first page. While the emperor is busy looting Venetian palaces, the protagonist realizes: "This town was made for a crocodile!" Between the ease of travel through the canals and the scent of "ragù alla Bolognese," he is enraptured. Following his nose, he encounters masked revelers who delight in the authenticity of his costume and invite him to lunch--and a ball. Suspense builds when the crocodile's nemesis appears just as the hero is drawn into a "catchy mazurka" with "a rather forward young lady" (ultimately, the crocodile's champion). Marcellino wrote the sparkling, witty, first-person narrative; created a dummy; and finished some watercolors before his untimely death in 2001. French illustrator Puybaret was recently invited to pick up the mantle. While each artist's style is unique, their toylike figures and complex architectural settings are simpatico, allowing Puybaret to honor the original style while remaining true to his own. The result is a seamless story as hilarious and high spirited as the first. The subtle coloring is artful; the pacing--constructed with thought bubbles, insets, and dramatic double spreads--is perfect. Venice's Grand Canal is a splendid stage for this smooth reptilian operator. (Picture book. 4-8)

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October 25, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Two decades after I, Crocodile, the dashing reptile returns, featuring watercolor illustrations completed by Puybaret after Marcellino's death. Readers of the first book will remember the crocodile's droll narration, equal parts indignation and food obsession, following his unseemly capture by Napoleon's army. Weary of hiding away in the Paris sewers, the crocodile sets sail for Venice, where he is mistaken for a costumed reveler and attends a lavish ball. Puybaret captures the crocodile's rubbery flamboyance, which pairs nicely with the symmetrical architecture and opulent clothing of the Venetian masquerade. The human faces, though, show slightly less stylized definition than in the original and the text-entirely completed by Marcellino-does not completely match the crisp insouciance of his first book. Some readers may pause at the references to "Egyptian dances" such as the "King Tut Strut" and "Egyptian Conniption," which seems to resemble a stereotypical tango. Still, fans of urbane absurdity will likely enjoy this second diversion. VERDICT A piece of waggish fluff, resurrected after 20 years.-Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Library, NY

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