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The Grumpy Crocodile
What are the jungle creatures to do about a bad-tempered crocodile who is making their lives a misery because of his constant oversleeping? Find out in this amusing rhyming story for young readers.
28 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
About the author
Nigel Tetley
8 books25 followersSince qualifying as a Religious Studies teacher in 1989, Nigel Tetley has worked in a variety of schools, spanning middle and secondary age groups in both the State and independent sectors. At the beginning of his teaching career, he also spent a year in Greece teaching English. In 2001, he started writing children's poetry at the suggestion of a colleague. Full details of all of his writing projects can be found on his website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 7, 2025
Fun Rhymes!
I really enjoy these animals in the forest. I think it is awesome and silly fun to have a crocodile needing an alarm clock. I just do not want to be around when it goes off with those big teeth.
Seriously, good fun with great rhymes and illustrations!
I really enjoy these animals in the forest. I think it is awesome and silly fun to have a crocodile needing an alarm clock. I just do not want to be around when it goes off with those big teeth.
Seriously, good fun with great rhymes and illustrations!
May 18, 2017
Old Mr. Crocodile who loves to sleep on and on and on wakes up very cranky and starving - a very bad combo indeed. He doesn't want to play and sing songs with the other animals he wants to eat them for breakfast. Oh my! He snaps, snaps, snaps at every creature that is in sight and targets them to appease his voracious appetite. Luckily none succumb to his strong jaws. The terrified animals flee for their very lives leaving the old croc all on his own... his tummy grumbling and still starving.
He saunters off to the nearest big river and what should his big bulging eyes behold but thousands of fish swimming round catching flies. He has an eureka moment and dives into the water.... it's fish à la carte on tap for him today. He snaps and snaps up the fish until his tummy could burst and now that his hunger is satisfied he wants to play. When he looks around him, there's no one to play with, everyone is gone. He then realizes it's his own fault that everyone has deserted him and gone and sought safety.
The animals gather together and have a meeting. They put their heads together and come up with a plan that just might have Old Mr. Crocodile waking up in a good mood. Mmmmmm, what could that plan possibly be? If they implement it will it actually work?
This great book is written in rhyme and kids will love how the animals all congregate together. With teamwork they work out a solution to their life-threatening problem. The illustrations are detailed, colourful and expressive. This is a fun read aloud. The kids can join in snapping their fingers or just resaying the words, "Snap, snap, snap!" The playful words and right on rhythm will have everyone interacting with the story. I highly recommend this book.
He saunters off to the nearest big river and what should his big bulging eyes behold but thousands of fish swimming round catching flies. He has an eureka moment and dives into the water.... it's fish à la carte on tap for him today. He snaps and snaps up the fish until his tummy could burst and now that his hunger is satisfied he wants to play. When he looks around him, there's no one to play with, everyone is gone. He then realizes it's his own fault that everyone has deserted him and gone and sought safety.
The animals gather together and have a meeting. They put their heads together and come up with a plan that just might have Old Mr. Crocodile waking up in a good mood. Mmmmmm, what could that plan possibly be? If they implement it will it actually work?
This great book is written in rhyme and kids will love how the animals all congregate together. With teamwork they work out a solution to their life-threatening problem. The illustrations are detailed, colourful and expressive. This is a fun read aloud. The kids can join in snapping their fingers or just resaying the words, "Snap, snap, snap!" The playful words and right on rhythm will have everyone interacting with the story. I highly recommend this book.
June 10, 2021
What a lovely adventure in the wild! Nigel Tetley's The Grumpy Crocodile is an irresistible rhyming book featuring Tiger's favourite animals. Giraffes! Zebras! Parrots! Crocodiles! And many, many more! What more can we ask for?
Parents will definitely love The Grumpy Crocodile as a bedtime read for their kids. With its lovely rhymes and well-drawn illustrations, kids will understand how animals live with each other while learning about new words and sounds.
Will Tiger be featured in the future? We definitely hope so!
Tiger and Tim xoxo
Parents will definitely love The Grumpy Crocodile as a bedtime read for their kids. With its lovely rhymes and well-drawn illustrations, kids will understand how animals live with each other while learning about new words and sounds.
Will Tiger be featured in the future? We definitely hope so!
Tiger and Tim xoxo
November 5, 2021
Who doesn't get grumpy? Better yet, The Grumpy Crocodile expertly expresses how you can drive others away and the beauty that can occur when you help others overcome this issue. The story combines a colorful art style with Nigel Tetley's wonderfully rhythmic prose. You can snap your fingers along with the Crocodile's jaws to create a truly engaging read for your little ones!
June 13, 2022
The Grumpy Crocodile is a lovely rhyming storybook! It is fun to read with fantastic illustrations that really bring the story to life. At its core, it has a very important moral, relatable to most (especially me!).
November 26, 2025
The Grumpy Crocodile by Nigel Tetley is an absolutely delightful children’s story filled with charm, gentle humor, and a meaningful message woven throughout its pages. From start to finish, it captures the magic of storytelling in a way that appeals to young readers as well as the adults who read it with them.
The book follows a crocodile who wakes up one day feeling… well, very grumpy. What makes the story so wonderful is how Tetley takes a simple emotion—something every child experiences—and turns it into a fun, lively adventure. The crocodile’s journey through the day, combined with his encounters with other animals, creates the perfect blend of entertainment and emotional resonance.
Tetley’s writing style is warm, smooth, and highly engaging. The language flows easily, making it ideal for bedtime reading or early readers who are ready to explore books independently. The tone balances humor and heart, with enough silliness to keep kids giggling and enough gentle lessons to give the story lasting value.
One of the strongest aspects of the book is the way it explores feelings. The crocodile’s grumpiness is never dismissed or scolded—instead, it’s acknowledged and worked through in a way that helps children understand their own emotions. The book encourages empathy, communication, and the idea that everybody has “grumpy days,” but those feelings don’t last forever.
The illustrations (if applicable to your edition) are vibrant, expressive, and packed with personality. The crocodile’s exaggerated expressions and the colorful jungle environment make every page visually inviting. Kids will absolutely love spotting the little details in the artwork.
As the story progresses, readers start to see what really lies beneath the crocodile’s mood—and that’s where the book shines. The message is heartfelt: kindness, self-reflection, and understanding can turn even the grumpiest moments into opportunities for connection and joy.
By the final page, the story wraps up with warmth and satisfaction, leaving young readers with a smile and a soft reminder about handling big emotions.
Nigel Tetley has created a children’s book that’s both fun and meaningful—one that parents will enjoy reading over and over, and one children will happily return to.
The book follows a crocodile who wakes up one day feeling… well, very grumpy. What makes the story so wonderful is how Tetley takes a simple emotion—something every child experiences—and turns it into a fun, lively adventure. The crocodile’s journey through the day, combined with his encounters with other animals, creates the perfect blend of entertainment and emotional resonance.
Tetley’s writing style is warm, smooth, and highly engaging. The language flows easily, making it ideal for bedtime reading or early readers who are ready to explore books independently. The tone balances humor and heart, with enough silliness to keep kids giggling and enough gentle lessons to give the story lasting value.
One of the strongest aspects of the book is the way it explores feelings. The crocodile’s grumpiness is never dismissed or scolded—instead, it’s acknowledged and worked through in a way that helps children understand their own emotions. The book encourages empathy, communication, and the idea that everybody has “grumpy days,” but those feelings don’t last forever.
The illustrations (if applicable to your edition) are vibrant, expressive, and packed with personality. The crocodile’s exaggerated expressions and the colorful jungle environment make every page visually inviting. Kids will absolutely love spotting the little details in the artwork.
As the story progresses, readers start to see what really lies beneath the crocodile’s mood—and that’s where the book shines. The message is heartfelt: kindness, self-reflection, and understanding can turn even the grumpiest moments into opportunities for connection and joy.
By the final page, the story wraps up with warmth and satisfaction, leaving young readers with a smile and a soft reminder about handling big emotions.
Nigel Tetley has created a children’s book that’s both fun and meaningful—one that parents will enjoy reading over and over, and one children will happily return to.
September 16, 2026
The author is remarkably accomplished in rhyming, and the story reads along effortlessly. The illustrations of the animals and jungle scenes are also of high quality, and so, the overall experience is a lively, vivid and intriguing one, with a building hope of a satisfying resolution to the problems.
In the center of the story is a grumpy crocodile who habitually oversleeps and gets up with a voracious appetite. After a lot of snapping at potential meals, he ends up with nothing to eat, until he stops and thinks hard. He soon gets an idea, and decides to go back into the water where he finds loads of fish to fill himself up.
His hunger appeased, Mr. Croc then looks for friends to play with, but they’ve all been frightened away by his aggressive snapping. He is saddened, and the creatures are afraid he will continue his unacceptable behavior.
What is their solution? An alarm clock to wake Mr. Croc up early every morning, which turns him into a vegan. Voila! Problem solved. Well, hopefully anyway.
This story offers much food for thought, pun intended for fun, but seriously, about issues regarding the nature of animals and each one’s unique eating habits and dietary needs, and maybe even ours as humans as well. Particularly because of the sophisticated writing style, this is potentially a good book to present to the classroom asking, “what do you think?”
In the center of the story is a grumpy crocodile who habitually oversleeps and gets up with a voracious appetite. After a lot of snapping at potential meals, he ends up with nothing to eat, until he stops and thinks hard. He soon gets an idea, and decides to go back into the water where he finds loads of fish to fill himself up.
His hunger appeased, Mr. Croc then looks for friends to play with, but they’ve all been frightened away by his aggressive snapping. He is saddened, and the creatures are afraid he will continue his unacceptable behavior.
What is their solution? An alarm clock to wake Mr. Croc up early every morning, which turns him into a vegan. Voila! Problem solved. Well, hopefully anyway.
This story offers much food for thought, pun intended for fun, but seriously, about issues regarding the nature of animals and each one’s unique eating habits and dietary needs, and maybe even ours as humans as well. Particularly because of the sophisticated writing style, this is potentially a good book to present to the classroom asking, “what do you think?”
May 21, 2023
The rhyming of the story was done well and flowed throughout the book.
The illustrations were very cute and suited the story. (though It did a bit before I got used to the layout in the ebook/pdf version I was ready.)
While parts of the story didn't make much sense (like the alarm clock). It was very clever and funny.
The main message wasn't clear straightaway but I thought it came through strongly by the end of the book.
I received a copy of the book from the author for free.
The illustrations were very cute and suited the story. (though It did a bit before I got used to the layout in the ebook/pdf version I was ready.)
While parts of the story didn't make much sense (like the alarm clock). It was very clever and funny.
The main message wasn't clear straightaway but I thought it came through strongly by the end of the book.
I received a copy of the book from the author for free.
September 16, 2023
"The Grumpy Crocodile" is a delightful rhyming book about Old Mr. Crocodile, who wakes up hungry and grumpy. He realizes his grumpiness has left him alone. This story teaches teamwork and consequences with rhythmic prose and colorful illustrations, making it great for young readers. It's a heartwarming and educational tale perfect for bedtime or storytime.
February 14, 2024
"The Grumpy Crocodile" is chock full of colorful illustrations and Geiselesque rhymes!! The pacing is right on par with the visuals to make the story of this cranky croc seem to dance off the pages. I highly recommend this book to parents to use as a most excellent bedtime or anytime story to take a frown and turn it around!
October 26, 2026
I liked how the animals had to deal with such a difficult neighbor, and the rhyming made the story fun and easy to follow. Some parts made me smile because the crocodile’s behavior was so silly. It’s a lighthearted read with a good lesson about how one creature’s actions can affect everyone around them. A cute choice for young readers!
March 8, 2023
A fun and entertaining rhyming book for young readers about a grumpy crocodile. The animals work together to help the croc from over sleeping. really cute story. Great for bedtime or the classroom for k through 2nd grade.
March 19, 2024
This is a great children’s story . My son loved it between the rhyming illustrations, and the plot of have a crocodile was angry from sleeping in. It was definitely a fun story to read highly recommend.
January 30, 2023
We all get a little bit grumpy every now and again, including kids, so I'm sure they will relate to the grumpy crocodile, a fun and relatable read for children!
February 8, 2023
A heartwarming story
And the lessons of balancing rest and healthy eating are for adults too
And the lessons of balancing rest and healthy eating are for adults too
October 4, 2023
It's very catchy, makes an excellent game for kids to sing around to. Illustrations are cute, my kids liked them.
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November 1, 2023For today's youth, this is a beautiful narrative that teaches forgiveness and attitude in a very relatable way. The illustrations are breathtakingly lovely. They make one's heart smile.
April 23, 2026
Fun, clever story with well thought rhymes. The illustrations are also very cute. Makes for a good evening book.
May 2, 2026
This was such a beautiful and fun book to read! The rhymes were great!
May 5, 2026
A fantastic book to read aloud and get children really involved in the book. Using different voices for all the animals and the rhyming verse is a treat for kids.
October 1, 2026
Cute story with bright colorful illustrations to keep children interested. The rhythmic, rhyming story is perfect for young children.
January 25, 2023
This book about a grumpy crocodile is so fun for children! Some children can also see themselves or adults that they know being grumpy. Grumpy Crocodile sure was lucky he had some good friends to help him!
May 14, 2023
I liked how the jungle animals worked together in this book to help make the crocodile happy. It was great team work. Once he was happy the jungle wasn’t miserable anymore. Kids can learn from this book that there are solutions to problems if we try to find them.
I received a copy of this book from the author for free :)
I received a copy of this book from the author for free :)
April 17, 2026
The rhyming in this fun book is spot-on and flows so well, making it a joy to read aloud. The illustrations are super cute and really bring the jungle to life.
March 8, 2026
This book is a lighthearted way to encourage good sleeping and eating habits.
April 14, 2021
There are many rhyming children’s books about utterly grumpy things – mornings, monsters, animals, you name it.
GRUMPY CROCODILE, written by Nigel Tetley and illustrated by Simon Goodway is one of them.
Its easily memorable rhymes makes this book very pleasant for the ears of the voracious young reader. It is a simple, yet imaginative picture book about animals that most children are familiar with – crocodiles, zebras, parrots, monkeys, snakes, hippos, giraffes, etc. I won’t spill the beans about why the crocodile was grumpy... but I will share that in the story all the animals worked together so “the croc had awoken with a smile and a song”.
It is a great book that teaches kids about animals, how they live, and how they work together - a story in verse that will delight readers of all ages.
GRUMPY CROCODILE, written by Nigel Tetley and illustrated by Simon Goodway is one of them.
Its easily memorable rhymes makes this book very pleasant for the ears of the voracious young reader. It is a simple, yet imaginative picture book about animals that most children are familiar with – crocodiles, zebras, parrots, monkeys, snakes, hippos, giraffes, etc. I won’t spill the beans about why the crocodile was grumpy... but I will share that in the story all the animals worked together so “the croc had awoken with a smile and a song”.
It is a great book that teaches kids about animals, how they live, and how they work together - a story in verse that will delight readers of all ages.
January 29, 2020
Very important lesson to be learnt. Even myself as an adult, I need to learn this. Sometimes it just is so hard not to oversleep. Loved the images on this.
September 2, 2023
Another lovely rhyming book from this author.
This is a pretty entertaining story about a grumpy crocodile and how a team formed from different creatures helped him solve this problem.
Besides good rhyming, the story teaches many lessons. First of all, the crocodile did n't have friends because all the creatures were afraid of the croc and preferred not to be around. Another good lesson is the fact that despite the fear they had, the creatures dod not abandon the crocodile but found a solution to solve the problem.
The illustrations are pretty, as in all author's group, very well portraying the topic.
I also like the text on the yellow background. I think it works very well.
"I received a copy of the book from the author for free."
This is a pretty entertaining story about a grumpy crocodile and how a team formed from different creatures helped him solve this problem.
Besides good rhyming, the story teaches many lessons. First of all, the crocodile did n't have friends because all the creatures were afraid of the croc and preferred not to be around. Another good lesson is the fact that despite the fear they had, the creatures dod not abandon the crocodile but found a solution to solve the problem.
The illustrations are pretty, as in all author's group, very well portraying the topic.
I also like the text on the yellow background. I think it works very well.
"I received a copy of the book from the author for free."
April 7, 2023
The Grumpy Croc sleeps too much and is always "hangry" until the animals on land work together to formulate a plan to get the croc on a better sleeping schedule which in turn will help him to eat more often and be happier. I'm grateful for the copy I received from the author to read this story about working together for a common goal and for being mindful of taking care of ourselves so we don't lash out at the "friends" around us!
September 15, 2023
I read this with my 7 year old daughter who thoroughly enjoyed all of the snapping noises. She loves books that are in a lyrical prose and this one had a great flow to it. We love books that focus on nature and wildlife, so we really enjoyed The Grumpy Crocodile. The only thing that she didn't like was the eating of the fish as that made her a ltitle sad. I explained the cycle of life and the fact that we eat fish as well, and she was fine. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews