Originally posted on Cherub Book Reviews
Monkeys and Crocodiles Play Baseball
by Angel Krishna
Illustrations by Angel Alvarez
Ages 4 and up
“My kids are getting older, and our reading time is more devoted to chapter books, etc., therefore blog posts are not as frequent—actually they’re quite tardy. Recently I saw some press on a newish picture book, Beyond the Pond by Joseph Kuefler. I had great expectations but didn’t review it, ‘cuz it was a dud, hollow, pretentious.
Another book dropped in my lap—Monkeys and Crocodiles Play Baseball. The title is clunky, but I like that. Not fancy storytelling, just the lowdown on how two different species who are usually enemies in the animal kingdom resolve a problem, and eventually coincide in their shared habitat. And play together. The old adage of less is more works best for this book, as the lesson theme (getting along) provided is blatant. There’s just enough text to keep interest, and the illustrations take care of the magic. The art is simple, bright and cartoony, but at the same time luscious and layered with expressive line work and textured shapes that give the whole storybook depth. A pleasure to read and regard!”
