A Crocodile in the Family

A charming, warm-hearted picture book about a family of birds who take home an egg and, even though the crocodile that hatches from it doesn't look or act like the rest of the family, he belongs.

A family of birds stumble across an egg in the bush and take it home with them. The family are thrilled when a little crocodile hatches from the egg, but the other animals are a little confused.

'Why do you keep him?' they ask. 'Is it because he's helpful?'

'He is helpful,' replies the family, 'but that's not why we keep him.'

As Croccy gets bigger, the bush animals become more confused. 'Is it because he's beautiful? Is it because he's fun? Is it because he makes a great coat rack? Is that it? Is that why you keep him?'

Croccy is beautiful, and he is fun, and he does make a great coat rack. But that's not why the family keep him. They keep Croccy because he belongs with them. And that's that.

A Crocodile in the Family is a beautiful picture book with a whole lot of heart about family in all its shapes and sizes. It's the perfect bedtime read for kids aged 3+.

About the Author

Kitty Black is a children's author living in Perth, Western Australia. Kitty has a background in psychology and education, this taught her the importance of stories. She lives with her husband and two children who are excellent at providing both inspiration and noise, although rarely in equal amounts. A Crocodile in the Family is Kitty's first picture book to be published with Hachette Australia.

About the Illustrator

Award-winning New Zealand illustrator Daron Parton was born in the UK, married a Kiwi and moved to New Zealand in 1995. He has been working as an illustrator since 1990 and is also an illustration tutor at Auckland University of Technology. Daron's books include The Ultimate Survival Guide to Monsters Under Your Bed and A Crocodile in the Family.