Pedro and George by Delphine Perret

by Delphine Perret

What’s the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? So glad you asked! Fans of Lyle the Crocodile and comic duos like George and Martha will find a new favorite pair in Pedro and George.Pedro and George are fed up with the children of the world getting them confused. Pedro is a crocodile, and George is an alligator. There’s a difference, you know!This determined pair decides to go on a mission to prove who’s who, once and for all. Pedro packs two sandwiches, a toothbrush, a comb, and off they go. (The comb, of course, is only for show.) The classroom at the other end of the world is unsurprisingly shocked by their arrival—but after a little learning and a lot of chaos, Pedro and George head back home to their ordinary tasks of sorting toothpicks and repainting their bathrooms, satisfied that they’ve taught an important lesson. Or so they think! This wry, hilarious story might help you remember the difference between crocodiles and alligators—but it will definitely give you the giggles.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Fiction, Fantasy

Hardcover

First published June 2, 2015

About the author

Delphine Perret is a French author and illustrator best known for her contributions to contemporary children’s literature. Born in 1980, she studied visual communication before graduating from the École des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg with a focus on illustration. Her debut book, Tout neuf !, was published in 2002 by L'Atelier du poisson soluble and immediately established her distinctive style—witty, poetic, and pared down in both text and visuals.
Over the years, Perret has developed a wide-ranging and award-winning body of work that includes original stories and collaborations with other writers. Her notable creations include Moi, le loup et les chocos, Bigoudi, Lettres à plumes et à poils, and the Björn series, featuring a gentle and thoughtful bear navigating the joys of everyday life. These stories blur the boundaries between picture book, short story, and graphic novel, and are acclaimed for their humor, tenderness, and subtle depth. Björn, six histoires d’ours received the Pépite de l’album in 2016 and the Prix Sorcières in 2017.
Perret’s illustrations have accompanied the work of authors such as Colas Gutman, Oscar Brenifier, and Roland Garrigue, and her books have been widely translated and recognized internationally, including selections for the IBBY Honour List. Several of her titles are part of the “Bibliothèque idéale” curated by the Centre national de la littérature pour la jeunesse (BnF), affirming her enduring impact on French youth literature.
Beyond books, she has participated in international artist residencies and exhibitions across Europe. Whether exploring themes of childhood, emotion, or quiet adventure, Delphine Perret brings a singular voice to children’s publishing—one that invites readers young and old to slow down, observe closely, and appreciate life’s simple wonders.

Reviews

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Perret's illustrations! She uses only splashes of color with the bulk of the drawings remaining black and white. Within the black and white backgrounds are tons of details: titles on the books filling the bookshelves, posters on the walls, and scribbled messages on desks like, "Guess what? Chicken bu..." Despite loving the Perret's art style, I enjoyed, but did not love, the textual elements. The story was cute and I could see it being a good fit for beginning readers who are looking for a picture book with a good amount of text to read, but it did flow well as a read aloud and it isn't one I'd come back to again and again.

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the end, my daughter was still a little unclear on why the two creatures in the book looked almost the same.

[Rolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was trying a bit too hard to be whimsical.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited because it stars an alligator and a crocodile, but it was a little bit of a let down.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute enough. Some will like it more than I did. Don't miss the endpapers. Btw, there are other ways to tell alligators from crocodiles.

[Jennifer Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pedro is a crocodile and his cousin George is an alligator. Fed up with people confusing them they set off to find children to eat in the other end of the world. (Children are, of course, the most at fault for confusing alligators and crocodiles). They find the children at school and while attempting to eat them, actually succeed in teaching them the difference between them! After they've been home for a while, Pedro receives a letter from one of the children thanking him for teaching the class the difference between a crocodile and an iguana. George received the same letter and comes to Pedro to complain again.

I love the simple illustrations- the only color is the green of Pedro and George. The story was muddled however, by unnecessary details and long sentences that didn't move the plot along. I suppose the point of the book was to help readers understand the differences between alligators and crocodiles, but after reading it, even I can't remember what was said.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The differences between alligators and crocodiles can often not be as noticeable to observers as they might be. Pedro Crocodile and George the alligator decide that they will go on a school visit to help students recognize their unique qualities. Although the two animals are a great hit with the students and teachers, the point of their mission apparently was not as successful as they hoped. The illustrations, sparingly drawn in black felt-tip pen and colored ink, are interestingly and seem to be created in as wry a fashion as the story itself is delivered. From the final pages of the book, it looks as though the two of them will have to head out on another school visit. I also liked the end papers with the little sketches of the two animals. Fans of crocodiles and alligators will smile at the story even while sharing their frustration over this identity crisis caused by others.

[Nancy Hensley · Rating 3 out of 5]

When George the alligator shows up knocking at his cousin Pedro’s house (the crocodile), he had enough of hearing others refer to him as a crocodile. He vents his frustration and the next thing you know they are out to find some children to eat as this might teach people a lesson on how these cousins are related but they are very different. As they both make their way into a school where they show up in time for a dictation class (not sure how a dictation class relates to the theme of this story), their visit turns these two cousins into welcomed guest to Mrs. Muiche’s dictation class. As one students’ shoe was eaten by one of the cousins, she felt that a thank you note should be sent out because she ended up with new boots in spite of the ordeal. There’s still some confusion on which one is which, so once again George shows up at Pedro’s door and he’s doesn’t seem too happy!

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mildly educational but mostly funny, especially if you pay attention to all the detailed drawings of the classroom. George the alligator is fed up with people calling him a crocodile. His cousin, Pedro Crocodile, blames children. Specifically, children on the other end of the world who say all kind of foolish things and should probably be eaten to teach them a lesson. Road trip! With a little biting involved, and possibly some judo, and a dramatic moment involving a natural science book. No crocodiles or alligators were harmed in the production of this picture book, I'm quite sure.

[Jessica Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute book with great illustrations that use just little splashes of color in otherwise black-and-white sketchy kind of drawings. I think there's a little too much in this story that could only really be understood by adults to make it super compelling for kids.

It's a bit too long for any kind of storytime (including just getting a young kid to pay attention to the entire thing-again, it's a little too subtle for younger children to want to grasp for so long).

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for story time for older children. This cute story generates lots of snickers and as an added bonus adults will like it as well as the kids. The art work is minimalist fun with most of the drawings being black and white with only the alligator, crocodile and kids faces being in color.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise, endpapers, art, and dry-humor insertions throughout this quirky story seem aimed more to adults than to the young readers. It is sure to strike a note with certain readers, but has a slow, sightly dis-jointed pace and plot so its fan base may not be universal.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far too wordy. Didn't make a ton of sense. The alligator and crocodile should have appeared differently. And why call them cousins? They are different animals, they should be "friends". Lots of random details and unnecessary storyline.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alligator and crocodile go in search of children to eat.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very strange, but I liked it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just for fun! I will definitely add this one to my "read alouds for the first week," list. I laughed out loud and who doesn't like to laugh?

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who? What? Is this a teaching book? Definitely not.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

very wordy and the story has lots of random strange details. my kindergartener friend liked it though and it was slightly funny

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit wordy and distracted

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both animals looked alike except for the tooth. Couldn't the illustration and the text given more differences between the two? Nobody else in the whole class but the Asian child knew judo?

[Brianna Crall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun hybrid text about the difference between an alligator and a crocodile.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest children's books I've come across. With a lot of these books, you're stuck rhyming nonsense for 45 pages. Not so with this book. Great gimmick for the plot, the characters are funny, and the art is fun. And you and your kid will know the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, which is pretty clutch.