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Party Croc!: A Folktale from Zimbabwe
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.
When you promise Croc a party, you better keep that promise and give him a party! Zuva knows you should never invite a crocodile to town―everyone knows that! But what if the crocodile does you a favor? And what if you promise to return the favor by inviting him to the village party? And what if this croc actually comes knocking on your front door? Because this crocodile is a PARTY CROC! This hilarious retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe is both a cautionary tale about keeping promises and a raucously fun read-aloud for party animals of any age.
When you promise Croc a party, you better keep that promise and give him a party! Zuva knows you should never invite a crocodile to town―everyone knows that! But what if the crocodile does you a favor? And what if you promise to return the favor by inviting him to the village party? And what if this croc actually comes knocking on your front door? Because this crocodile is a PARTY CROC! This hilarious retelling of a Shona folktale from Zimbabwe is both a cautionary tale about keeping promises and a raucously fun read-aloud for party animals of any age.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Read MacDonald
93 books78 followersFollow
Biography
Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald travels the world telling stories....always on the lookout for more great folktales to share. She shapes these found stories into tellable tales which anyone can share with ease. Filling her folktale collections with these delightful tales, she creates perfect read alouds for you and your family. MRM wants everyone to experience the joy of a beautifully told tale. She hopes you will read them a few times...then put down the book...put down the electronic device...and just TELL the story to your children!
Some of her favorite folktales she expands into picture books...hopefully with delightfully readable language while will roll right out of your mouth. Share them with your children and then....act the tales out! Revisit the tales by TELLING them! At bedtime. While on the road. Fill your pockets with great stories to share wherever you go.
Joining her Folklore Ph.D. with her 30 plus years as a children's librarian, Margaret brings folktales to life in playful, lilting language which should delight both reader and listener.
See her performance schedule at: www.margaretreadmaconald.com
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 1, 2018
My daughter read this and loved it and now I know why. This was adorable. This book is based on a fable told among the Karanga, a clan of the Shona people, in Zimbabwe. The author has adapted it to be more appropriate for children. At times I felt bad for the croc but it has a happy ending for him. I honestly thought it was really cute and very memorable. It's a good book for kids to teach them about not making promises they can't keep. I would recommend for kids ages 5 to 10.
February 27, 2018
Party Croc! is a variant of a folktale from Zimbabwe. Zuva wishes she had a way to catch fish from the pool. The Croc offers his services and Zuva takes him up on it. She promises to let him come to a party in her village on Saturday, where there will be lots and lots of food. Croc is SO excited that everyday he finds someone to ask what day it is. He says the repetitive line "I'm going to a party! I'm a PARTY CROC!" throughout. Finally, Saturday is here and he gets spiffed up for the party. All the way to the village party he is singing and dancing. He makes it to Zuva's house and she is shocked that Croc is there. She wants him to shush up and he does when she gives him some food, but when he's done, he gets loud again. He calls Zuva out on not living up to her end of the bargain. The rest of the village eventually sees Croc and takes him back to the pool. Croc thinks that's part of the party. On Sunday, he has a crocodile party and Zuva apologizes for not keeping her promise, which is part of the moral of the story. The other part of the moral is to NEVER invite a crocodile to a party.
This book is humorous and has beautiful illustrations. It has repetition from Croc singing his song throughout the book. The morals of the story are good ones to live by!
This book is humorous and has beautiful illustrations. It has repetition from Croc singing his song throughout the book. The morals of the story are good ones to live by!
June 12, 2019
Haha, this was actually pretty fun. A girl promises a crocodile he can come to her party if he catches a bunch of fish for her village. The crocodile obliges and catches the fish (even though the girl had no intention of actually having a party). So the whole week he anticipates the party, then shows up at the village ready to party. The little "I'm a party croc" chant would be fun to do with young kids (preschool) even though the "folktale" element might be more appropriate for a bit older, so I'm divided a bit on this one.
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October 13, 2015Title: Party Croc!: A Folktale From Zimbabwe
Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrator: Derek Sullivan
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): Promises, Lying
Opening line/sentence:
“On Monday when Zuva went down to fetch water,
fish were swirling around in the pool.”
Brief Book Summary:
A young girl, Zeva, went to fetch water and a crocodile catches fish for her, but in return he wanted to go to her party. She figured he would never know when Saturday comes so he will forget about the party. However, on Saturday he showed up to the party, and everyone jumped on him and took him back to the river. Her father told her, “never make a PROMISE you cannot keep.” Then he had a party with other crocodiles.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Publishers Weekly
A girl strikes an impulsive bargain with a crocodile in MacDonald’s (The Boy from the Dragon Palace) retelling of a folktale attributed to the Shona people in Zimbabwe. Fetching water from a pool swarming with fish, Zuva wishes aloud that she could catch some. When a crocodile asks what Zuva will give him if he helps her out, she invites him to a party on Saturday, figuring he couldn’t get into town and wouldn’t know when it was Saturday, anyway. All week, Croc exuberantly asks passersby what day it is, shouting, “Party! Party! Going to a party! Party! Party! I’m a PARTY CROC!” Newcomer Sullivan’s vivid cartoons capture Croc’s enthusiasm but aren’t enough to offset the repetitive story’s lack of momentum. It takes far too long for Croc to reach the party (after Saturday finally arrives, Zuva spends several pages feeding Croc before they get to the festivities), and he’s promptly ejected by the townspeople when he does arrive. The closing message, delivered by Zuva’s father (“Never invite a crocodile to a party! And never make a promise you cannot keep”) gets lost in a muddled conclusion. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Kirkus Reviews
2015-01-10
A jolly Zimbabwean folk tale teaches the importance of keeping promises. Zuva wishes for something to catch fish with when a friendly crocodile offers to catch some for her. But he wants something in return. Zuva promises the crocodile a food-filled party in town on Saturday if only he will get her some fish today. She figures the crocodile will forget the promise and won't know when Saturday is. But this is a party croc, whose enthusiasm for the promised party will not let him forget it. Zuva shares the crocodile's fish with the village but does not give proper credit. Each day, the excited crocodile checks in to see which day of the week it is, the patterned text lending itself to audience participation in MacDonald's trademark style. When Saturday arrives, he is ready to roll. Surprised, Zuva tries to keep the crocodile quiet by feeding him, but the croc is not satisfied and disturbs the village, uncovering Zuva's omission. Digitally stylized villagers, their mouths painted to the sides of their faces, meet the jolly crocodile's questions with confusion, allowing readers to be in on the joke. Details add to the fun: He is dolled up with fish bracelets and a leaf bow tie! A brief author's note details the origin of the tale. The importance of keeping promises is delivered with a hearty dose of humor, making this a book to return to. (Picture book/folk tale. 4-8)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
I was surprised the Publishers Weekly review seemed negative towards the flow of the story and message overall. My opinion and the Kirkus review coincide because I agree that this story conveys the message that you should only make promises that you can keep. Both reviews do acknowledge that Zuva wishes that something could catch her the fish at the beginning of the book. This relates to the age-old saying, “be careful what you wish for.” Overall, I identified more with the Kirkus review because I thought the humor and repetitiveness made the book for a good read aloud that also conveys an important life lesson.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The textual style is interesting in this book because of the dialogue between Zuva and Party Croc. Every time he said “Party! Party! Going to a party! Party! Party I’m a PARTY CROC!” “Party Croc” would be capitalized and typed in various colors. Additionally, when Party Croc promised to be quiet, the word “quiet” was typed in a different color. Also, the text Party Croc said was always typed on a wavy slant. This showed his excitement for the party and the food! The illustrations were rich in color, which brought the story to life. I enjoyed the precise illustrations and bright colors.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be a great transition into teaching the importance of promises to others and ourselves. This activity could be given to third graders, and the teacher would give each student a worksheet that set goals for “This Week,” “This Month,” and “This School Year.” Each section would start with the words, “I promise myself to…” This would promote planning goals, as well as showing the importance of promising yourself to accomplish or complete something. These worksheets would be kept in their file, so they could regularly refer back to them.
Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrator: Derek Sullivan
Genre: Non-European Folktale
Theme(s): Promises, Lying
Opening line/sentence:
“On Monday when Zuva went down to fetch water,
fish were swirling around in the pool.”
Brief Book Summary:
A young girl, Zeva, went to fetch water and a crocodile catches fish for her, but in return he wanted to go to her party. She figured he would never know when Saturday comes so he will forget about the party. However, on Saturday he showed up to the party, and everyone jumped on him and took him back to the river. Her father told her, “never make a PROMISE you cannot keep.” Then he had a party with other crocodiles.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Publishers Weekly
A girl strikes an impulsive bargain with a crocodile in MacDonald’s (The Boy from the Dragon Palace) retelling of a folktale attributed to the Shona people in Zimbabwe. Fetching water from a pool swarming with fish, Zuva wishes aloud that she could catch some. When a crocodile asks what Zuva will give him if he helps her out, she invites him to a party on Saturday, figuring he couldn’t get into town and wouldn’t know when it was Saturday, anyway. All week, Croc exuberantly asks passersby what day it is, shouting, “Party! Party! Going to a party! Party! Party! I’m a PARTY CROC!” Newcomer Sullivan’s vivid cartoons capture Croc’s enthusiasm but aren’t enough to offset the repetitive story’s lack of momentum. It takes far too long for Croc to reach the party (after Saturday finally arrives, Zuva spends several pages feeding Croc before they get to the festivities), and he’s promptly ejected by the townspeople when he does arrive. The closing message, delivered by Zuva’s father (“Never invite a crocodile to a party! And never make a promise you cannot keep”) gets lost in a muddled conclusion. Ages 4–7. (Mar.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Kirkus Reviews
2015-01-10
A jolly Zimbabwean folk tale teaches the importance of keeping promises. Zuva wishes for something to catch fish with when a friendly crocodile offers to catch some for her. But he wants something in return. Zuva promises the crocodile a food-filled party in town on Saturday if only he will get her some fish today. She figures the crocodile will forget the promise and won't know when Saturday is. But this is a party croc, whose enthusiasm for the promised party will not let him forget it. Zuva shares the crocodile's fish with the village but does not give proper credit. Each day, the excited crocodile checks in to see which day of the week it is, the patterned text lending itself to audience participation in MacDonald's trademark style. When Saturday arrives, he is ready to roll. Surprised, Zuva tries to keep the crocodile quiet by feeding him, but the croc is not satisfied and disturbs the village, uncovering Zuva's omission. Digitally stylized villagers, their mouths painted to the sides of their faces, meet the jolly crocodile's questions with confusion, allowing readers to be in on the joke. Details add to the fun: He is dolled up with fish bracelets and a leaf bow tie! A brief author's note details the origin of the tale. The importance of keeping promises is delivered with a hearty dose of humor, making this a book to return to. (Picture book/folk tale. 4-8)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
I was surprised the Publishers Weekly review seemed negative towards the flow of the story and message overall. My opinion and the Kirkus review coincide because I agree that this story conveys the message that you should only make promises that you can keep. Both reviews do acknowledge that Zuva wishes that something could catch her the fish at the beginning of the book. This relates to the age-old saying, “be careful what you wish for.” Overall, I identified more with the Kirkus review because I thought the humor and repetitiveness made the book for a good read aloud that also conveys an important life lesson.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The textual style is interesting in this book because of the dialogue between Zuva and Party Croc. Every time he said “Party! Party! Going to a party! Party! Party I’m a PARTY CROC!” “Party Croc” would be capitalized and typed in various colors. Additionally, when Party Croc promised to be quiet, the word “quiet” was typed in a different color. Also, the text Party Croc said was always typed on a wavy slant. This showed his excitement for the party and the food! The illustrations were rich in color, which brought the story to life. I enjoyed the precise illustrations and bright colors.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
This book would be a great transition into teaching the importance of promises to others and ourselves. This activity could be given to third graders, and the teacher would give each student a worksheet that set goals for “This Week,” “This Month,” and “This School Year.” Each section would start with the words, “I promise myself to…” This would promote planning goals, as well as showing the importance of promising yourself to accomplish or complete something. These worksheets would be kept in their file, so they could regularly refer back to them.
April 28, 2024
This book is a great way to teach students about other cultures and moral lessons. This book is a very cute and colorful book that will keep the students interested. This book is great for young children who are being read to. The author did a great job telling this story at a child level.
December 5, 2017
I would use this book when introducing the days of the weeks. It would be a fun and funny book to help keep the students engaged while learning the days of the week.
March 2, 2019
This book is adorable. And, again, an extra star for scholarly notes in the back (1/2 a star off cause i cannot find the source which is cited)
May 3, 2021
This was not my favorite book. I found it to be extremely repetitive. The illustrations were adorable and I do think younger students would enjoy this book a lot.
February 21, 2022
Broken promises, deceit, humor, crocodile, party, young reader
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May 2, 2022A little girl inviting a croc to a party.
October 21, 2015
Imagine inviting a hungry crocodile to a party in the middle of town where such animals are prohibited. That is exactly what Zuva, the young girl in this retold folktale from Zimbabwe did in exchange for a basket of fish. She never thought that the crocodile would be smart enough to figure out when the party was, but he outsmarted her. When he showed up at her house on Saturday ready to party, Zuva was shocked and she quickly had to figure out how to make good on her promise. I was most surprised by the crocodile's nature in this re-telling. I expected him to be more vicious, causing trouble at the party, but really he was just a fun-loving croc who wanted to party! This book is a great tool to use to teach children that you shouldn't make promises you don't intend to keep.
July 5, 2016
This was such a fun book! It's a really cute story about a little girl who lets a Crocodile help her catch a bunch of fish after she promises to let him come to the party later that week. She didn't think he would come. Well, he's a smart croc and figures out what day is Saturday and he shows up! He wreaks a little havoc, and then the little girl thinks of a way for the croc to still have a party without scaring the humans.
I loved the little saying that he would say about every other page. "Party! Party! I'm going to a party! Party! Party! I'm a Party Croc!". Haha. The illustrations were bright and fun and humorous as well. I loved everything about this book. So glad we picked it up at the library. My daughter really enjoyed it as well.
I loved the little saying that he would say about every other page. "Party! Party! I'm going to a party! Party! Party! I'm a Party Croc!". Haha. The illustrations were bright and fun and humorous as well. I loved everything about this book. So glad we picked it up at the library. My daughter really enjoyed it as well.
February 4, 2016
Unfamiliar with the legend that the book is based on but the pictures were vibrant. Would use in a story time.
March 31, 2015
Can't wait to read aloud to a group this folktale from Zimbabwe retold by the Queen of Retellings. Perfect for an easy puppet show, too.
April 25, 2015
Cute. I'll have to keep this one in mind for storytelling.
May 7, 2015
REally accessible for a folktale. MRM is a master. Also, I was totally rooting for the crocodile.
June 26, 2015
Funny story with a twist about a croc that just wants to joni the party. PS and up. Crocodile or birthday party theme
July 28, 2015
A funny folktale retelling with bright, cartoonish illustrations. I can see this being a hit in preschool storytime.
July 7, 2016
Excellent multicultural read-aloud for K-3. Repeated refrain of "I'm a party Croc!" is engaging.
Read at WG in September 2015.
Read at WG in September 2015.
Read
December 26, 2015frog prince like story. all about promises and keeping them.
January 5, 2016
Can see this being a crowd pleaser in storytime. Great way to bring an unseen folktale to life.
January 19, 2016
Good read-aloud, with nice sourcing and notes. Also good for kids learning the days of the week. Recommended for ages 4-6.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews