I'd Really Like to Eat a Child Picture Book :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Excellent storytime fare!

2008-01-19
Little Achilles the crocodile is asserting his first stabs at independence to his parents--he turns into a finicky eater and demands some grown-up food. "But we eat bananas for breakfast," his mother entreats. Achilles' parents try to entice him with his favorite foods: chocolate cake (sneakily made with lots of fresh milk) or a long sausage. The parents theatrically pretend it's a disaster: "Boo-hoo-hoo! Our Achilles won't eat" and let the youngster test the waters of his individual power. "Achilles was beginning to feel strange and rather weak all over--which is exactly what happens when you haven't eaten your breakfast," so he heads off for a swim where he spies a little girl. Expounding all his ferociousness to the little girl, Achilles comes across as ridiculously little and cute. The girl grabs him by the tale, tickles his belly, gets bored and splunks him in the river. Achilles goes home to eat his bananas, and look forward to the day he is big enough to eat a child. This is excellent storytime fare from a French author and illustrator team. Do not overlook the fun this story brings forth!

Great Child's Book

2008-01-07
Our daughter really loves this humorous book! The story is funny and the illustrations are really great! This book is especially a good choice for kids that are picky eaters because it shows in a humorous way that kids can relate too, the importance of eating your food.

eating child doesn't seem like the healthiest meal

2007-11-12
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The story is simple enough, about a crocodile who wants to eat a girl and his parent crocodiles who try to convince him otherwise, but he goes out on his own to try to find a child anyways. It has such weird things in it like the fact that normally the crocodiles eat bananas. However the illustrations are fun and the crocodiles look so cute, toothy grins aside and the girl is pretty. But she is more daring than safe. And I don't like all of the messages that are being sent (the girl ends up playing rather roughly with the crocodile of her own accord before he even tries to eat her) that I can't recommend this book.

very good

2007-09-17
This book is great for those of us with a bit of tongue in cheek sense of humor. Luckily, I'm passing that along to my kids and they think this is rather hilarious.

Sooooooooo cute!

2007-07-29
A cute, hilarious, innocent book about a little crocodile named Achilles who decides he wants to hunt down little children, even though his parents keep telling him to eat bananas for breakfast if he wants to grown big and strong. Achilles is a very loveable character, and the punchline to the story is lots of fun. If you enjoyed this one, you might also want to check out Mo Willems' "Leonardo The Terrible Monster," which has a similar plot and an equally adorable hero. (ReadThatAgain!)

Catchy Title, Wonderful Story

2007-06-05
A scrawny little crocodile wants the opportunity to bite off more than he can chew. He's tired of bananas; today he'd like to eat a child. But he's smaller than he thinks, and the little girl he chooses for his first meal puts him in his place—she picks him up and tickles his tummy! The little crocodile is going to have to eat a lot of bananas and grow a lot bigger before he can add children to his menu! Simple yet hilarious artwork brings this droll story to life.

Hungry, hungry crocodile

2007-04-24
There is something so refreshingly honest and upfront about Sylviane Donnio's "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child." Just the title alone tells you that this story is not another P.C. animal tale in which polar bears and babies snuggle together on a cold night. Nope, "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" gives it to you straight.

Achilles the crocodile lives on a banana diet enforced by his Mama (and, possibly, P.C. animal stories everywhere). One morning Mama is worried when Achilles won't eat his banana for breakfast. When Achilles announces--as well he should--that he wants a child to eat, Mama answers, "What an idea, my little Achilles!...Children don't grown on banana trees, only bananas do and that's what I have for breakfast."

Dad tries to remedy the situation with a sausage brought back from the village. Achilles insists a child should be on the menu. Dad exclaims, "Come now, Achilles. There's no such thing as a sausage made from children!" (Okay, call me sick, but that's pretty funny. My kids thought it was a hoot too.)

Many foodish attempts are made until Achilles encounters a lovely little girl playing on a river bank. Achilles approaches slowly...until...the girl cries, "Oh! Look at that...A teeny-tiny crocodile! He's awfully cute!" Poor Achilles. His hopes dashed, he runs home so he can eat as many bananas as possible. I'll let you guess why.

Sylviane Donnio's concept is great here--this book has the dark humor any three- to eight-year-old will appreciate. Dorothée de Monfreid's cartoon-like illustrations are a perfect match as well. How she makes a teeny tiny crocodile's expressions exactly mirror those of a recalcitrant toddler I'll never know.

"I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" is highly recommended fun for adults and children who like a touch of the macabre with their humor. Don't worry--no children were harmed in the making of this book.