What do you think?
Rate this book
The Swap (Little Hare Classics) by Jan Ormerod
A jealous big sister learns a very loving lesson in this warm and funny picture book about sibling rivalry, featuring charming text and retro-nostalgic artwork.Caroline Crocodile is not thrilled with her baby brother. He drools. A lot. But all Mama Crocodile ever says is how GORGEOUS he is! And so Caroline ventures into a baby shop to swap out her brother. Unfortunately, the baby panda is a fussy eater, the giraffe is missing scales, and the piglet isn’t green. Turns out, the best younger sibling around might just be her own yellow-eyed, sharp-clawed, drooling baby brother.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
4 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Jan Ormerod
151 books21 followersJan Ormerod grew up in the small towns of Western Australia, with three older sisters, and as a child she drew constantly and compulsively. She went to art school and studied drawing, painting and sculpture. After completing her degree, Jan become an Associate of the Western Australian Institute of Technology and Design in Education, taught in secondary schools on enrichment programmes, and lectured in teacher’s college and art schools. Jan's first picture book, "Sunshine", won the Mother Goose Award in 1982 and was highly commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Her recent titles include "Ben Goes Swimming", "Emily Dances", "Who’s Who on Our Street?", " A Twist in the Tail" and "Ponko and the South Pole".
http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/authors...
http://www.walkerbooks.com.au/authors...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
September 13, 2019
A jealous sister gets to try out new baby brothers in this fun tale by Omerod. The artwork by Andrew Joyner is pure joy - so much going on on each page, yet the focus is always on the main characters.
A fun look at learning to appreciate what you have.
A fun look at learning to appreciate what you have.
August 7, 2015
Caroline is not happy to have a baby brother. Her mother adores him despite his dribbling mouth. She talks all of the time about his yellow eyes and green skin and how very cute he is. When her mother goes into town to exchange her hat for one that is just right, Caroline gets an idea and heads to the baby store to trade her baby brother in for one that is just right too. The baby panda with yellow eyes like her mother likes eats the bamboo furniture. The baby elephant is too squirty and ends up breaking a fountain. The two baby tigers are too active and too much of a handful for her. By the time she goes through all of the available babies, the store only has one left, her original baby brother. But after all of that, he looks pretty perfect to her!
Ormerod takes a humorous look at sibling rivalry in this picture book. Caroline is clearly jealous of the time that her mother spends with her little brother, but that is transferred to disliking his drool and activities. The idea of exchanging an infant for one who fits and suits you better is a clever one, and an idea that children will understand. The ending where Caroline takes her own brother back works very well and doesn’t feel forced or overplayed. Instead it feels like the natural extension of the experience that the character has had.
Joyner’s illustrations add to the humor of the book. Filling his pages with a community of different animals, Joyner makes sure that it is a modern world with cell phones, portable music, and cars. Yet it also has a distinct vintage feel in the way that the characters dress and touches like the price tags on the babies and their cloth diapers. It’s a distinctive mix of the two, one that is modern and yet warm.
A great addition to the crowded shelves of sibling rivalry books and one that takes a more lighthearted and humorous approach to the situation. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Ormerod takes a humorous look at sibling rivalry in this picture book. Caroline is clearly jealous of the time that her mother spends with her little brother, but that is transferred to disliking his drool and activities. The idea of exchanging an infant for one who fits and suits you better is a clever one, and an idea that children will understand. The ending where Caroline takes her own brother back works very well and doesn’t feel forced or overplayed. Instead it feels like the natural extension of the experience that the character has had.
Joyner’s illustrations add to the humor of the book. Filling his pages with a community of different animals, Joyner makes sure that it is a modern world with cell phones, portable music, and cars. Yet it also has a distinct vintage feel in the way that the characters dress and touches like the price tags on the babies and their cloth diapers. It’s a distinctive mix of the two, one that is modern and yet warm.
A great addition to the crowded shelves of sibling rivalry books and one that takes a more lighthearted and humorous approach to the situation. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
March 16, 2020
Too advanced for my toddler storytime, but still cute!
March 3, 2015
New baby siblings are sometimes a drag. Perhaps some other sort of baby might do better?
Sibling hate is a familiar picture book trope, but really, watching a kid test-driving a whole slew of different kinds of (animal) babies is a hoot. Andrew Joyner's art really sells it: he manages to remind one of Bernard Waber's Lyle books and the style of children's books of the seventies without feeling slavish; it's just a knowing nod.
Library copy
Sibling hate is a familiar picture book trope, but really, watching a kid test-driving a whole slew of different kinds of (animal) babies is a hoot. Andrew Joyner's art really sells it: he manages to remind one of Bernard Waber's Lyle books and the style of children's books of the seventies without feeling slavish; it's just a knowing nod.
Library copy
August 6, 2015
When Mam Crocodile takes her hat back to the hat shop to "swap it for one that is just right," jealous big sister Caroline is inspired to take her (smelly, boring, and dribbling) baby brother back to the baby shop. Predictable, but cute.
October 20, 2014
A great pick for a child with a new sibling!
April 3, 2018
Of all the picture books with sibling rivalry theme, this is by far the cutest that I have ever read. 22-month old little-AJ loves this book and almost obsesses with it for a good many months.
The illustrations are lovely and attracted little-AJ's attention immediately: imagine a town with chimpanzee driving a car, zebra lady holding a cell phone, kangaroo hopping around while reading a newspapers, doggie driver in a yellow bus, and cats decorating icing cakes. There are so much fun looking at the pictures with so much more to discover and explore, especially for an animal-lover like little-AJ.
Mama Crocodile could not stop talking about how gorgeous baby crocodile was. Caroline crocodile was jealous. She went to the baby shop attempted to "swap" her baby brother with a better baby (hopefully less smelly, and doesn't dribble as much). But none of the babies turned out suitable: the baby panda ate the bamboo chair, the baby elephant sprayed water onto passers-by and damaged the fountain, the baby tigers were too active and made a big mess in the Toy Shop. In the end, Caroline Crocodile realized that baby Crocodile was "just right after all".
Little-AJ loves the part where Mama Crocodile gave a smacky-smoochy kiss to baby Crocodile (in the beginning of the story), and another smacky-smoochy kiss to Caroline crocodile (at the last page). He loves those funny pictures with familiar objects: baby panda sitting in a stroller, baby elephant in nappy and drinking from a bottle, the messy toy shops with guitar, kite, and train set. This is a very entertainment book with a cute storyline and really cute pictures.
Blog review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...
The illustrations are lovely and attracted little-AJ's attention immediately: imagine a town with chimpanzee driving a car, zebra lady holding a cell phone, kangaroo hopping around while reading a newspapers, doggie driver in a yellow bus, and cats decorating icing cakes. There are so much fun looking at the pictures with so much more to discover and explore, especially for an animal-lover like little-AJ.
Mama Crocodile could not stop talking about how gorgeous baby crocodile was. Caroline crocodile was jealous. She went to the baby shop attempted to "swap" her baby brother with a better baby (hopefully less smelly, and doesn't dribble as much). But none of the babies turned out suitable: the baby panda ate the bamboo chair, the baby elephant sprayed water onto passers-by and damaged the fountain, the baby tigers were too active and made a big mess in the Toy Shop. In the end, Caroline Crocodile realized that baby Crocodile was "just right after all".
Little-AJ loves the part where Mama Crocodile gave a smacky-smoochy kiss to baby Crocodile (in the beginning of the story), and another smacky-smoochy kiss to Caroline crocodile (at the last page). He loves those funny pictures with familiar objects: baby panda sitting in a stroller, baby elephant in nappy and drinking from a bottle, the messy toy shops with guitar, kite, and train set. This is a very entertainment book with a cute storyline and really cute pictures.
Blog review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...
September 1, 2019
When a new baby comes to a family it can be hard and others in the family can get jealous. This book explores that in a fun way.
* Talking points: Do you remember when any of your other siblings joined the family? Many times people have a mix of emotions when life changes. How did you feel? What times in your life have you been jealous? How did you work through that emotion? How do you usually work through tough emotions? Who helps you work through tough emotions?
** Essential Oils Pairing Tip - if you are feeling a little jealous or have someone in your life that is, diffusing doTERRA's Console essential oil blend can help support people emotionally while they work through different difficult feelings.
* Talking points: Do you remember when any of your other siblings joined the family? Many times people have a mix of emotions when life changes. How did you feel? What times in your life have you been jealous? How did you work through that emotion? How do you usually work through tough emotions? Who helps you work through tough emotions?
** Essential Oils Pairing Tip - if you are feeling a little jealous or have someone in your life that is, diffusing doTERRA's Console essential oil blend can help support people emotionally while they work through different difficult feelings.
September 5, 2018
3 stars
This is a clever picture book about a reluctant crocodile big sister who wishes to trade in her baby brother for someone better. As the book progresses, and she tries being a big sister to different types of animal babies, she inadvertently comes to realize that all of the things about her brother that used to bother her, are actually what makes him better than all of the “swap out” babies. At the end of the book, she is a happy and proud big sister, to her perfectly “just right” baby brother.
- Miss Emily
This is a clever picture book about a reluctant crocodile big sister who wishes to trade in her baby brother for someone better. As the book progresses, and she tries being a big sister to different types of animal babies, she inadvertently comes to realize that all of the things about her brother that used to bother her, are actually what makes him better than all of the “swap out” babies. At the end of the book, she is a happy and proud big sister, to her perfectly “just right” baby brother.
- Miss Emily
July 17, 2024
A little girl crocodile doesn't like her baby brother, so she returns him to the store and exchanges him for another. Each successive baby brother she tries out has its own problem, of course, and she learns that her baby brother isn't so bad after all. The art is great —detailed but not too cluttered— and a good lesson for older siblings who might be struggling with a new addition to the family. Of course, the lesson that my daughter learned was that returning siblings was an option, and after reading this to her she started asking if we could, haha!
November 12, 2016
If there's such a thing as perfection, this is surely a perfect picture book. Perfectly pitched text, relevant to pre-school up to well... you could say any age, but realistically upper primary. The illustrations are elegant and funny and assured and... just perfect. This would have been an all time favourite for me when I was 6 if it had only existed.
(I remember being about 7 and my mum said 'your daughter has such beautiful skin' to a friend's mum. I went green all over... ha ha ha!)
(I remember being about 7 and my mum said 'your daughter has such beautiful skin' to a friend's mum. I went green all over... ha ha ha!)
March 26, 2017
Aww, wat een schattig leuk boekje was dit! Het is een onderwerp wat wel vaker voorbij komt, maar toch blijft het leuk. Ik had veel plezier om te zien wat voor broertjes Kaatje kreeg en hoe het ging met het testen of het een goed broertje zou zijn. :P Het einde was superlief.
Ik vond het ook leuk om alle kleine details te zien (zoals de kentekenplaten, die keer in de speelgoedwinkel en wat daar gebeurde).
Mooie illustraties!
Ik vond het ook leuk om alle kleine details te zien (zoals de kentekenplaten, die keer in de speelgoedwinkel en wat daar gebeurde).
Mooie illustraties!
February 21, 2024
Caroline Crocodile does not like her baby brother; he is getting all the hugs and kisses she use to get from mommy. When mommy goes out shopping she asks Caroline to babysit her brother. As soon as mom is gone Caroline tries to trade him for another baby animal! Nice book for a small child who may be having a hard time with the new baby of the family!
January 6, 2019
Fun story about a jealous big sister of her baby brother. When her mother goes to exchange her hat for the correct size, she gets the idea to exchange him at the baby store, then fun ensues! Spanish flows smoothly.
November 29, 2021
Como es habitual el dibujo es muy bonito, con unos colores muy agradables. La historia aunque simple es entretenida y logra ir de la mano con las ilustraciones. Muy buen producto para su público objetivo.
June 2, 2017
I loved this! Just adorable and great for older siblings feeling less than enthusiastic about their new baby brother or sister.
August 31, 2018
A very fun read for children with siblings with a good and easy to understand message. Good Dutch translation as well.
June 19, 2021
Great little book with a hidden meaning of sibling jealousy. Very clever wording ... students loved it, very catchy and a nice little moral in it too for students to learn.
January 4, 2022
Caroline decides she wants to swap her baby brother for a baby she likes better. Really cute illustrations and a fun sibling book.
January 19, 2022
Very fun for a big sister with a new(ish) little brother :-)
June 7, 2023
The satire works, I think.
After reading, my main takeaway is to be soooooooooo glad that I'm no crocodile.
After reading, my main takeaway is to be soooooooooo glad that I'm no crocodile.
August 10, 2019
Lovely illustrations and amusing story. Kept Sebby engaged and Mama laughing out loud at Caroline’s antics.
Happy that this is Sebby’s hundredth book we’ve read together.
Happy that this is Sebby’s hundredth book we’ve read together.
October 12, 2017
Perfect for kid who have sibling(s). A story about a jealous big sister who wanted to swap her brother with other babies. But in the end she find that her baby brother is just right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2015
When big sister is left in charge of baby brother of whom she is not too fond, she discovers the baby shop and proceeds to trade her brother for one baby animal after another. After problems with each of these alternatives, sister crocodile trades back for her own brother. A fun story that many older siblings may identify with and get a giggle from. Retro-looking illustrations accompany this tale. The illustrations are brightly colored and depict a sunny, happy town bustling with many types of animals.
A couple things for the adults reading the book to look for and share with the children with whom they're sharing the book -- the goat owner of the baby shop reading a book with Babar on the cover, a cat baker's car with a license plate C8K. And just for the adults, a rabbit looking worriedly at his watch.
A couple things for the adults reading the book to look for and share with the children with whom they're sharing the book -- the goat owner of the baby shop reading a book with Babar on the cover, a cat baker's car with a license plate C8K. And just for the adults, a rabbit looking worriedly at his watch.
February 7, 2016
A book about sibling rivalry and the feeling of being displaced by a baby brother. Caroline tries to get rid of her baby brother for other animal babies and finds out her brother is the best. I found the first page very disorienting and confusing. It looked like Richard Scarry's Busy World, making it difficult to pinpoint who was talking and which characters were the focus. If you use this for a read aloud, you might want to explore the page before you start reading so that your students can focus on the main characters.
August 24, 2016
Caroline Crocodile isn't thrilled about her new baby brother. He's dribbly and smelly, and worst of all, he takes up lots of Momma's love and time. So Caroline decides to swap him for a different baby at the store. However, after trying out a few other baby animals, Caroline decides maybe her little brother isn't so bad after all.
The facial expressions and comic situations in this are fantastically illustrated. It's quite humorous. I love how Caroline's plans to swap for a different baby animal fail epically. A good book for jealous little siblings, or just for a fun read.
The facial expressions and comic situations in this are fantastically illustrated. It's quite humorous. I love how Caroline's plans to swap for a different baby animal fail epically. A good book for jealous little siblings, or just for a fun read.
February 24, 2015
Super cute book about a big sister who's not sure she likes her new baby brother. Caroline Crocodile is jealous of her little brother and the attention he gets from their mother. So when she has to watch him while their mother is shopping, Caroline decides to trade him in for a new baby brother. She tries out a panda (too fussy), an elephant (too squirty), and twin tigers (too tiring). In the end, she decides that her brother isn't so bad after all.
February 24, 2015
This is a great book for anyone who's dealing with a child having jealousy issues with a new baby brother or sister in the family. The little girl crocodile is jealous because mommy shows her new baby brother so much love. When they go with mom to run errands she sees an opportunity to change her smelly, dribbling brother at the Baby Store. This is a cute and readable book about the reasons one should always keep one's sibling.
June 21, 2016
While mom goes shopping, Caroline does a little shopping of her own. She comes to the conclusion that a baby who is too squirty or too tiring or all the other things about the babies traded at the Baby Shop are not worth the trade - her little brother is just the kind of baby she can live with!
Curiously enough, the monkeys in this book look like George. Great art!
Curiously enough, the monkeys in this book look like George. Great art!
November 22, 2015
Caroline Crocodile is definitely jealous of her baby brother, but it’s more than that. He’s smelly, dribbly and just not right. On a shopping trip, she decides that she should try to exchange him for a new baby at the baby store. Big siblings will laugh at the trouble each new baby causes, and the conclusion hits a perfect note as her own baby brother might be the best one after all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews