Party Croc!: A Folktale from Zimbabwe

By Margaret Read MacDonald and Derek Sullivan

In this retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe, a girl promises a crocodile he can come to a party in exchange for a favor, but since crocodiles aren’t allowed in the village, she doesn’t expect she’ll have to keep the promise.

This is a fixed-format ebook, which preserves the design and layout of the original print book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Albert Whitman Company
• Release date: Mar 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781497662735

Margaret Read MacDonald

Margaret Read MacDonald is a children's librarian turned storyteller who travels the world sharing tales. Her many picture book retellings include The Boy from the Dragon Palace, Little Rooster’s Diamond Button, and Mabela the Clever. When not traveling, she lives near Seattle, Washington.

Reviews for Party Croc!

[Taurean Watkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What do “The Frog Prince” and “Party Croc!” have in common? They both tackle the
“Make A Promise, Keep A Promise” creedo that many classic stories are based on.

But what sets this retelling of an african folktale apart from the original “Grimm’s” story
(and it’s MANY retellings) is the frenetic energy and unabashed gusto.

Instead of short-sighted princess, we have a normal, down-to-earth girl named Zuva,
who wants to bring home fish for dinner, but has no luck with her angler skills.

So, she makes a bargain with a crocodile (i.e. the earnest “Frog” of this folktale): if he brings her fish, she’ll invite him to a party the coming Saturday.

The thing is, the crocodile’s presence would not be welcome in the Zuva’s village.

The croc delivers his part of the promise, and Zuva brought back fish for the village, and quickly forgets her bargin with the crocodile, thinking he’d never learn when Saturday was…

But the crocodile (blissfully unaware) is no oridinary crocodile, but rather a Party Croc, and tells (or rather SINGS) to everyone who’ll listen he’s been invited to a party.

If you’ve watched “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” for any length of time, you can almost hear in your mind one of the many random freestyle dittys sung by Ponyville’s #1 Party Pony, Pinkie Pie! (Or “Double P” as I call her)

Also, the Party Croc would ask various kids when Saturday would arrive, and when Saturday comes, the croc leaves the fishing pool to “Get down with his scaly self.”

When Zuva spots him sashaying into the village, dressed in his swampy best, she quickly hides him in her house, and begins realizes that making a promise she couldn’t keep was not a good idea, especially when the Party Croc finally crashes the party he thought he’d been invited to all along!

Derek Sullivan’s illustrations have this raw yet warm energy, and Margret Read MacDonald’s use of concise, punchy text, along with the repetition of our titular reptile’s refrain of jubilation come together in a delightful way.

Eventually Zuva had to confess her lie, and from there, well, you’ll have to read for yourself…

Folktales, much like picture books in rhyme, or novels in verse, are TOUGH to write, and even tougher to sell, but a joy to readers of all kinds when done well.

“Party Croc!” is a hilarous reminder that one shouldn’t make promises you can’t or don’t wish to keep.

-Originally Reviewed at TalkingAnimalAddicts.com