Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! by Derek Anderson

Headshot of Tanya Prax.

Courtesy of Tanya Prax.

Tanya Prax is a Youth Services Librarian with Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado and has been with the library for 2.5 years. She is from Minnesota and is a lover of the lakes, mountains, sports, and adventures. Her favorite thing about working in libraries is opening people up to the possibilities that libraries can provide. 

Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! 

by Derek Anderson book cover. 

Author and illustrator, Derek Anderson, has written a “fun fun fun” early reader called Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! This book is one of two in the series and the title sets you up for an enjoyable reading experience right away. Three short stories introduce us to Croc and Ally, two wildly different best friends who always have a problem that needs solving or an adventure to go on. In the first story, A Dry Day for Croc, Ally REALLY wants to go swimming, but Croc does not want to get wet. Ally gets all his swimming gear on, jumps in the water, and invites Croc in. Although Croc still refuses, Ally manages to get him wet with his splashing. In the second story, The New Hat, Ally thinks that Croc needs a new hat since he has had his current one for a long time. They go to the store together to try on a variety of hats, but, in the end, it is not Croc that ends up buying a new hat. In the third story, One Big Bug, Ally finds a spider under his chair. Neither Croc nor Ally like bugs so they must call for back up- Ally's mother! 

Croc and Ally trying on four different hats in front of a mirror from Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! by Derek Anderson. 

This book is targeted towards more confident readers who have already cut their teeth on lower level texts. I think every reader will identify either with Croc, who is always a little less sure than his friend, or Ally, who is a little more on the adventurous side. Each story has a plot that flows and is easy to understand. The illustrations are colorful and fun. They do a great job of catching the expressions on Croc and Ally’s faces. The reader can tell when Ally is having fun and when Croc is unsure about something. The illustrations also do a great job of telling the story without needing to read the words. Each story is full of humor and will make the reader giggle. 

Ally's mother helps a spider find his way home from Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! by Derek Anderson

Some pages have more text than others but there is a good balance and the text is always easy to see. There are also many repeating words throughout each short story. I think that having short stories, or chapters, sets readers up for a successful reading experience as it gives them confidence and makes it seem as if they are reading a longer or “older kids” book.This book series would be great for fans of Elephant and Piggie, Monkey and Cake, or Arnold and Louise. 

Ally swimming and Croc refusing to from Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! by Derek Anderson

All in all, Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! has Geisel Award potential with its colorful illustrations and funny and straightforward stories.

Editor's Note: It has come to our attention that Croc and Ally: Fun, Fun, Fun! has a 2018 publication date, so it is unfortunately ineligible for the Geisel Award. However, we hope you've still found this post helpful.