Lovable Lyle

Lyle the Crocodile #4

by Bernard Waber

Lyle is distraught to learn he has an enemy and tries to be an even more lovable crocodile than he was before.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Classics, Friendship

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Bernard Waber was the youngest in a creative family. At age 8, he ushered in a movie theater after school, so he often saw only the last ten minutes of a movie. He made a game of inventing beginnings and middles. When he returned from a tour of duty in World War II, he entered the Philadelphia College of Art. With a diploma and a new wife, he traveled to New York City, where he began working for the Condé Nast magazines as an illustrator. Reading books to his three children inspired him to apply his pen and ink and watercolor style to his own picture books. His first book, Lorenzo, was built in 1961. Today, his characters are some of the most beloved in the library. He and his wife, Ethel, live on Long Island.

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovable Lyle - Bernard Waber   Lyle is lovable, don't try to resist him. Everyone wants her own Lyle.
***
Still true.
But also? In a climate where hate speech and hate crimes are increasing, the book feels way darker than it did before. Poor Lyle, doing everything he can to keep people from fearing him, and none of it does any good to sway people who refuse to believe that an upright-walking, talking, socially responsible crocodile could be human. What's wrong with people?

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an intense and beautifully illustrated book. Lovable Lyle the crocodile receives a note that says "I hate you" and the hate mail escalates from there. It's all very dramatic.

It turns out that a little girl named Clover hates Lyle because all her friends love to play with him, but her mother doesn't allow her to play with Lyle. It's an obvious allegory for children hating things not because they're different -- children don't care -- but because their asshole parents teach them that "different" is synonymous with "wrong."

Clover's mother is the problem, not Lyle, but Lyle doesn't realize that. I have mixed feelings about Lyle's desiring to do more tricks, to be more happy, to cheer people up and make them like him. It's too often the marginalized who feel obligated to please others. That's the very nature of an abusive relationship, especially one where the abuser is your own culture.

In the end, Waber chooses a neat and tidy, but ultimately offensive, ending in which Lyle rescues Clover from drowning. After that, her mother likes him. It's as if Lyle doesn't deserve acceptance unless he does something for her first. Gross.

I'd love to revise this book and create a story where Clover realizes that her mother, not Lyle, is the problem, and then maybe her mother gets carried away by a riptide and eaten by a shark.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title really says it all! Lyle is a lovable crocodile. And you see his sweet character displayed so wonderfully when he gets a hateful note from an anonymous enemy and tries, appropriately I might add, through kindness and courtesy to win over this mysterious critic.

Ages: 4 - 8

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.

[Denise Lauron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyle has an enemy and he doesn't know who or why. He and his family decide to do something about it.

This is a great book about prejudice and misunderstanding. I think that an older child would enjoy this, but I think that parent discussion is also needed to help the child understand that what happened to Lyle is wrong.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow! I remember reading this book as a child, I loved it and the series. But, reading it now, in 2018, consider these points: Lyle is essentially being anonymously trolled and physically stalked by Clover; his guardians are aware of it but the only thing they do with helpless resignation is lightly victim blame and suggest that he be "nice" to everyone and that we just can't "please everyone"; in the meantime he sinks into depression, self-hate, and obsesses over the issue in silence; Clover's mother is overtly racist and Clover is a victim of that; Lyle's guardian's solution is to further victimize Lyle by forcing him to confront his attacker and her racist mother while being on his "best behavior" to prove them wrong; he does the right thing by practicing self-care and tries to protect himself by avoiding the confrontation; when the racist is rude and threatening to his face his guardians do NOTHING! They do not stand up to her or protect him from her insults and threats!; then the whole thing is resolved to everyone's satisfaction by Lyle "proving himself" by performing a heroic action; then NO APOLOGIES; he is gratified by now being accepted by Clover's mother and THE BEAT GOES ON!
We need a new story. We are in a new day and age. This was likely a veiled comment on racism in it's time, but it focused on the individual and not the white supremacist system that the rest of the story upholds. This could be used as a lesson plan to help children clean out outdated classroom and church libraries. Not censoring, discussing and seeing if it is still a good book for us to read to young children and perhaps relegate it to the historical section or only with a study guide to use as a lesson in white supremacist culture. I will use this one with my middle years group for this purpose.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a pretty long, thoughtful review written out for this one, and then something happened with the app and I lost it! Anyway, I don’t have the energy to try to recreate it. This gist of it was…I don’t really love this book.

I find a number of the ideas in it super gross/dumb (if someone hates you and is a complete asshole to you for no good reason, all you have to do is save their kid from drowning and then everything will be just fine!), and I find it a bit unsettling as an adult. My normal policy is to read anything to my two-year-old that he’s interested in and just talk about the parts that need to be talked about, but there’s so much going on in this that just feels…kind of ick to me. Plus, he’s starting to get kind of freaked out by the closet scene. I’m freaked out by it, too!

I guess it’s maybe a good book to start discussions about prejudice and bullying, but I think I’m going to put it away for awhile and just try a different Lyle book, since I think he’s really the main draw for my son.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovable Lyle / Bernard Waber /
Genre: fiction
Format: picture book:
Plot summary: Lyle is distraught to learn he has an enemy and tries to be an even more lovable crocodile than he was before.
Considerations: discussion on bullying
Selection source: Scholastic
Age recommendation: 2-8

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is cute, especially for city-dwelling kids, but I suspected when reading it that people probably wouldn't like how mean the note-writer was, and some of the other reviews show that that is indeed the case. I liked it, though. And the version I read is older than me!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyle is indeed lovable. The anonymous hate letters are jarring to today's readers, (though i wonder if they were meant to shake the tree a little even in 1969). I expect that some of the other books in the Lyle series would be less troublesome, and will try some of the others.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first graders always love to hear stories about Lyle. This book deals well with bullying and envy in ways that young children can understand, without being preachy.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are extremely charming and there are some funny moments, but this unusually dark installment focuses on Lyle receiving anonymous hate letters. A little girl sends these letters and stalks him around the neighborhood, and the issue revolves around her mother's prejudice against Lyle and refusal to allow the girl to play with Lyle, which also alienates the girl from her friends.

I don't remember anything about this one from my childhood. I am sure that it upset me and made me angry, and that I didn't go back to it. I had an excess of empathy for anything picture book characters endured, and since I had been upset about Lyle accidentally stepping on a toy drum in the last book, I'm sure I couldn't handle reading about this straight-up persecution.

This 1969 picture book is obviously an analogy for racism, and about white people who wanted to control who was allowed to live in a particular neighborhood. However, the book's only solution to this problem is for Lyle to dramatically save the child's life, and for the mother to appreciate him after that. The book makes it clear that none of his other constant efforts at proving himself did anything, and that this was the woman's fault, not his. Still, you shouldn't have to save someone's child's life for them to respect you and treat you decently. This book can be a good discussion-starter with kids about discrimination and injustice, but parents should point out how unreasonable and unfair to Lyle the ending still is.

[Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book of the Lyle series.
Lyle is enjoying life on E 88th St. with everyone loving him....until a note arrives saying how much they hate Lyle. He continues to be kind, courteous, and helpful, while still receiving more notes of hate. After several attempts to discover the culprit, they are soon caught slipping another poison note under the door-- it's the new girl from Josh's class, Clover Sue Hipple...oh my. We discover her mother won't let her play with crocodiles so her friends all leave when Lyle is around. Mrs. Primm concludes it is time to meet the mother which happens to end so very poorly.

The family has a day at the beach, and there, Clover Sue Hipple is rescued, and her mother accepts her playing along with him.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could add pictures to this review because I found my actual copy of when I was a child and joined the children’s choice book club. I probably have not read this book in 20-25 years so I decided to re-read it as an adult. I’m glad I did because it’s obvious that this book is about segregation (copyright 69) at least in my opinion. It’s basically about this lovable crocodile named Lyle, but because Lyle’s different he starts getting notes under his door about how much he is hated and they find out he’s hated by this Karen and her daughter in the neighborhood. Even to the point where Karen asks, if crocodiles like Lyle, are allowed to swim at beaches where everyone else is. I forgot how angry children’s books can make me lol. Read this not only to your kids but as an adult too.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

My four year old loved this one. She enjoys all the Lyle books, but I think she's at that age where Enemies are VERY compelling. Just another strange but funny Lyle story where the Primm family finds out Lyle has an enemy who is leaving mean notes and they just can't figure out why. A bit predictable in the end, if you've read other Lyle books in terms of him literally having to save someone's life for his haters to see beyond his green crocodilian looks, but the story works and is funny so no complaints here!

[Jorge Pigeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a pigeon I found this book very relatable. I know the feeling of not being liked, as Mrs. Hipple had preconceived ideas what Lyle would be like. I also like that Lyle lives in a house with a family, like me! I think it's s bit sad Lyle had to perform a heroic act to be accepted by Mrs. Hipple. We pigeons know how that goes. If someone tries to paint pigeons in a good light they discuss war heroes such as CherAmi. But what about us regular guys? We should be appreciated just for who we are!

[Kymberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute book with fun illustrations! I love that it's just not a fun book but one with a moral lesson. just because you fear someone doesn't make them bad. I wish it talked more about that lesson.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

'My first book about bigots." Well, would someone who is racist or anti-Semitic or whatever really decide to be buddies if they got their life saved? Judging by how much wonderful work is done by non-White people that we benefit from, I doubt it. But maybe this will get some kids thinking.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lyle the Crocodile is liked by many but begins receiving anonymous notes from someone claiming to hate him. When it is discovered who it is, his heroic act changes things. I remember liking this as a kid but now as an adult, I realize that Lyle is straight up being harassed and it's kind of sad.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyle the Crocodile. Who wouldn't like a story about a lovable crocodile?

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The franchise is faltering.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet message about not being raci—I mean, about being kind to all and checking your prejudices.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about prejudice and how to overcome it.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alissa couldn't understand why Lyle was hiding in the closet.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a good book to have a discussion about.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome because it was one of my favorite books when I was really little. I loved how gentle the story is.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As cute as the others in this series.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is enjoyable, but leaves me with a lot of questions about the anti-crocodile prejudice at the heart of the story.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/19/24 Read with Julia and Charlotte

[Reagan Styrt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I want my child reading about someone trying to please everyone because they are getting hate mail.

[Keiran · Rating 1 out of 5]

OOF, this has not aged well.