A nervous crocodile from a long line of competitive swimmers must find the courage to be honest with his family in this illustrated picture book about being true to yourself.
Nigel loves swimming. The water is his favorite place to be, and he comes from a long line of swimming champions. His mother is the fastest swimmer in crocodile history, and his sister was the first crocodile to get a perfect diving score. But Nigel doesn’t like competitions. His heart hammers when the whistle blows, and his tail trembles when he hears the shouting from the sidelines. But he doesn’t want to disappoint his family, so he never tells them how he really feels. And when they enter him in his first real competition, Nigel doesn’t know what to do. Will he ever find the courage to tell his family the truth?
Nigel’s fears are so familiar, and his prevarications so spot-on, that few humans of any age will not be in sympathy with him. . . . Children will love Nigel as the underdog of the crocodile story, even though they will never doubt that he will prevail. A necessary purchase for the good-guys-take-first-place shelves. —School Library Journal
Enthralling. . . an empathetic story that will help children find the courage of their true convictions. —The Florida Times Union
Bethany Christou is a children’s book artist who loves to create stories with heart. She is the author-illustrator of Slow Samson. She lives in Hertfordshire, England.
A nervous crocodile from a long line of competitive swimmers must find the courage to be honest with his family in this illustrated picture book about being true to yourself.
Nigel loves swimming. The water is his favorite place to be, and he comes from a long line of swimming champions. His mother is the fastest swimmer in crocodile history, and his sister was the first crocodile to get a perfect diving score. But Nigel doesn’t like competitions. His heart hammers when the whistle blows, and his tail trembles when he hears the shouting from the sidelines. But he doesn’t want to disappoint his family, so he never tells them how he really feels. And when they enter him in his first real competition, Nigel doesn’t know what to do. Will he ever find the courage to tell his family the truth?
Praise
Nigel’s fears are so familiar, and his prevarications so spot-on, that few humans of any age will not be in sympathy with him. . . . Children will love Nigel as the underdog of the crocodile story, even though they will never doubt that he will prevail. A necessary purchase for the good-guys-take-first-place shelves. —School Library Journal
Enthralling. . . an empathetic story that will help children find the courage of their true convictions. —The Florida Times Union
Author
Bethany Christou is a children’s book artist who loves to create stories with heart. She is the author-illustrator of Slow Samson. She lives in Hertfordshire, England.
