By Libby Stille, Publicist
Every season I get to work with tons of amazing titles. However, I have yet to reach the level of obsession I have attained with one title from Spring 2019. We’re talking the level at which you tell your work friends, your boss, your relatives at a family reunion, and everyone who looks at your Instagram stories about the book.
Oh, you want to know what the book is too?
It’s Strictly No Crocs, from Lerner’s new Early Bird Stories™ series for emergent readers. Strictly No Crocs is strictly the best.
A trio of intrepid crocodiles, annoyed that they haven’t been invited to a zebra’s birthday party, decide to put on disguises and crash the party for the sole purpose of eating everyone up. Naturally, they dress up as a cheetah, a flamingo, and a bumble bee, and their costumes are so convincing that none of the other animals bat an eye.
But, between eating cake, singing, and playing in a bouncy house, the crocs have so much fun that they forget to eat everyone up!
A bouncy house? A crocodile dressed up as a bumble bee? This amazing art? I don’t know what more you could want.
Shortly after I picked up my new favorite book ever, galleys for another Spring 2019 title, Undercover Ostrich, arrived at the office. Undercover Ostrich is also delightful, and it got me thinking about books that feature some sneaky animals . . .
5 books featuring animals in disguise
Strictly No Crocs, written by Heather Pindar and illustrated by Susan Batori
The best thing to happen to children’s literature. Moving on.
Undercover Ostrich by Joe Kulka
An obtuse elephant can’t spot the ostriches all around him. The art is hilarious, and kids will love outsmarting the befuddled pachyderm.
As a bonus, the book features several ostrich facial expressions that I believe everyone has made at work. Who hasn’t read an email with that look on their face?
The Bolds series, written by Julian Clary and illustrated by David Roberts
A family of hyenas move to London and pretend to be a human family. Filled with zany illustrations, hyena dad jokes, and incredible disguises (literally), this picture book series is perfect for chapter book readers who want a laugh. The fourth installment, The Bolds in Trouble, comes out this May.
Masters of Disguise: Amazing Animal Tricksters by Rebecca L. Johnson
This one features actual biological animal disguises. (Sorry to burst your bubble, but there are no hyena families living in London. That’s fiction.) Full-color photos and fascinating text will engross young animal lovers, and it’s also got a great gross-out factor going for it too.
Bonus title! Gecko Press’s Have You Seen Elephant? by David Barrow
This is harder than Where’s Waldo!