Pedro and George

K-Gr 2—Pedro is a crocodile and his cousin George is an alligator. Or is it the other way around? This book, a French import, is not pedantic, but rather a humorous adventure. Tired of being called the wrong names, they blame the formless entity called "the children on the other end of the world" and forge a journey to rectify the situation and settle the score. Naturally, this will bring a stream of objections from an audience of young readers! Pedro and George's string of off-the-cuff comments provide a backdrop of humor as they traverse the jungle and arrive at school. The visit renders young whippersnapper Josephine, a judo master, and Mrs. Muiche useless-her hair standing on end is depicted in memorable straight, parallel, energetic but understated lines. The drawings are fresh and economic in tone and line, packed with myriad little details for children to scour and devour and created devoid of computer enhancement, with just a black felt tip pen and only two tones of colored ink: pinkish flesh-tone and a brightish pea green. Juxtapositions such as "Dictation" written on the blackboard side-by-side with a sign saying "Do not Copy" will have the grown-ups laughing, too. The class decides to make the visit educational and to take advantage of the live specimens to investigate the anatomical differences between the two reptiles. Pedro, George, and all the kids, especially Josephine, become fast friends.