Melrose and Croc: Find a Smile Book

When Melrose loses his smile, he worries that he won't be able to find it again. But Little Green Croc takes him to the countryside, and, after running fast, hopping over a stream, chasing a squirrel up a tree, smelling a flower, and runing backwards up the hill, sure enough, his smile returns! This heartwarming tale emphasizes the power of friendship.

Children's Literature

On a lovely sunny day Little Green Croc felt something was wrong with his friend Melrose. "I've lost my smile," said Melrose. Little Green Croc keeps a positive attitude and encourages Melrose to go out with him to find it. Out to the countryside, Little Green Croc tells Melrose to run fast, hop over a stream, catch a falling leaf and much more. Having fun and playing in a peaceful and serene environment, Melrose forgets about his sadness and is smiling again. Clark uses a clever plot introducing the reader to a problem in the beginning of the story and then builds anticipation throughout the adventure of the main characters. The story ends with the problem ingeniously unraveled, which also demonstrates to the reader an interesting way friends can help one another with a persisting and concerning attitude. Finally, the soft watercolor images of the two adventurous friends provide the reader with an idea of how to solve an issue and be a positive influence on those who are close to him or her. Reviewer: Erika Clark