I'd Really Like to Eat a Child

I bought this book for my five year old nephew for Christmas! He loves it, as does his sister. It has a bit of dark humor, but it reminds kids to eat healthy so they have the strength and energy to do what they want.

I collect unusual, strange and inappropriate children's books. From my perspective this book is okay. It is charming, with no real objectionable content. Unlike many of the other books in my collection, I would actually read this to a child.

If you're expecting more of a gag gift or want a children's book with more of a point or moral to it, give this one a pass. Otherwise it's a fine, harmless little thing that has a funny cover that will draw a giggle.

We found this book title when reading another whimsical book. The children were intrigued and wanted to find this book. They were fascinated with it and wanted it read until they were able to memorize it!

Absolutely charming. Wonderful expressions; the hungry little guy looks like any two-year-old in a stubborn mood. My five-and-unders were appalled and delighted, and I enjoy reading it out loud. A favorite.

You may be second guessing this book given it's title BUT as you can see from other reviewers - your kids will love it. And probably for the reason you're second guessing it. My son & nephew giggle at Achille's cranky attitude towards his parents when he decides he doesn't want bananas anymore.

It's cute for a small child, but really lakes any real plot and ends as others have pointed out without any real fan fair. I think if I were sitting down to write about a tiny crocodile that wants to eat a kid I'd have come up with something a lot more wild and entertaining. He basically just sounds like a kid that does t want to eat his vegetables. Meh.

Not that I expected all that much from an ironic kids book, but if you're going to tell a story, tell a story. The cover's cute, the story's creepy, but it goes absolutely no where. Nothing gained, nothing changed, no actual story. I expected a bit more, a bit too much as it turned out.

If you are not familiar with the practice of slave owners using black babies along the water's edge as alligator bait do some research before purchasing this book. It is a continuation of that narrative. No child should be read this book. Ever.

"I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" is a fantastic book about Achilles (a little crocodile) who refuses to eat anything because he wants to eat a child. His Mama and Papa try getting some new foods for him but he refuses to eat those, too. He is being totally stubborn. Then he finds a little girl and wants to eat her. Achilles tries to roar but the girl just thinks he's cute. He goes home and eats bananas. But he does NOT give up on his silly idea to eat a child.

I think kids would enjoy this book because it's funny. Even the pictures are funny. I loved the part where the little girl tickled Achilles and then threw him in the river. That was hilarious. I give this book 5 stars because it is humorous and made me laugh. I keep reading it over and over again. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

Review by Connor C., age 6, Boston Mensa

Achilles may be just a small crocodile, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in stubbornness. Every morning for breakfast, his mama brings him tasty bananas plucked fresh from the trees. But on this morning, Achilles refuses to eat. He has already made up his mind that today, he would really like to eat a child. His mama would happily indulge her little gator, but children don't grow on trees. Bananas do, and that's what for breakfast.

Papa Crocodile runs to the village and come back with a plump sausage strapped to his back that is as long as his body, but Achilles won't budge. He wants to eat a child. Mama and Papa put their heads together and bake the most luscious chocolate cake. Apparently these are very adept crocodiles, because they also manage to frost and decorate that cake, as well as produce a sharp knife for slicing. Achilles is sorely tempted, but remains firm in his convictions.

Achilles stomps down to the river to do some pouting, but is surprised when he arrives. Sitting at the edge of the riverbank is a defenseless child! The little croc creeps up and bares his teeth in a most ferocious way. The child turns, picks him up by the tail, tickles his belly in a most insulting way and chucks him into the river. Instead of dwelling on the failure, Achilles hops out, runs to his parents and announces he needs to eat piles of bananas, so he can grow big enough ..... to eat a child.

This was just released in paperback, and typically only the good ones makes it to paperback. I love how Achilles parents try to distract him from the child meal with the other foods. Who would have thought that a couple of crocodiles could produce a fancy cake? Achilles definitely inherited their can-do attitude, refusing to give up his dream of eating a child.

There is something so refreshingly honest and upfront about Sylviane Donnio's "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child." Just the title alone tells you that this story is not another P.C. animal tale in which polar bears and babies snuggle together on a cold night. Nope, "I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" gives it to you straight.

Achilles the crocodile lives on a banana diet enforced by his Mama (and, possibly, P.C. animal stories everywhere). One morning Mama is worried when Achilles won't eat his banana for breakfast. When Achilles announces--as well he should--that he wants a child to eat, Mama answers, "What an idea, my little Achilles!...Children don't grown on banana trees, only bananas do and that's what I have for breakfast."

Dad tries to remedy the situation with a sausage brought back from the village. Achilles insists a child should be on the menu. Dad exclaims, "Come now, Achilles. There's no such thing as a sausage made from children!" (Okay, call me sick, but that's pretty funny. My kids thought it was a hoot too.)

Many foodish attempts are made until Achilles encounters a lovely little girl playing on a river bank. Achilles approaches slowly...until...the girl cries, "Oh! Look at that...A teeny-tiny crocodile! He's awfully cute!" Poor Achilles. His hopes dashed, he runs home so he can eat as many bananas as possible. I'll let you guess why.

Sylviane Donnio's concept is great here--this book has the dark humor any three- to eight-year-old will appreciate. Dorothée de Monfreid's cartoon-like illustrations are a perfect match as well. How she makes a teeny tiny crocodile's expressions exactly mirror those of a recalcitrant toddler I'll never know.

"I'd Really Like to Eat a Child" is highly recommended fun for adults and children who like a touch of the macabre with their humor. Don't worry--no children were harmed in the making of this book.

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child (also published under the title I Really Want to Eat a Child) is a brilliant little picture book. The simple illustrations aren't the most realistic amongst the picture book world, and the crocodiles are a lot more human like, they thankfully don't wear clothes or anything but with actions such as walking, they do so on their hind legs. This factor probably does allow children to relate a bit more to the characters, especially the young croc Achilles.

Basic plot of this brilliantly titled picture book revolves around a very young crocodile named Achilles. Achilles is throwing a bit of a tantrum over the fact that he's sick of the food his parents are delivering each day. Understandably when you consider what they're feeding him are bananas, it's never made clear if these are vegetarian crocodiles or if the author is just simply unfamiliar with what crocodiles eat since this book was originally published four years before the English version in French. Maybe because they don't have crocs in France, the author just didn't know what crocs eat. Anyway, Achilles is so sick of bananas, he's turning his back on his parents, sitting with his arms crossed refusing to eat unless his parents bring him the food he craves, a child. His parents offer him a few other alternatives but still Achilles refuses to contemplate any other offering with his constant demand "I really want to eat a child!" Nothing his parents do seems to be able to end his hunger strike so feeling weak, Achilles decides to take a swim so he'll feel better. It is not long before he comes across a foolish human child who is sitting on the river bank with her feet in the water. When Achilles is presented with this chance, will his dream meal come true?

I can understand why some readers may find the subject matter a bit controversial for kids. I too don't think Achilles parents should have given into his bad behaviour midway through the story by rewarding him with chocolate cake. But this really doesn't hamper the important lessons for children that the story contains about the consequences of mistreating animals and that wild animals aren't toys. You could even relate the lesson learnt to tormenting dogs in the park or the family cat. Like with teaching kids the lessons of not sitting or playing on river banks that salties habitat, the chocolate cake for bad behaviour scenes can be tackled simply by the reader holding up the illustration and asking the question to the children being read to, if Achilles or you were being bad/not eating his dinner, should he/you really be rewarded with junk food?

This book is an excellent tool to stimulate discussion on croc safety for those who are planning a trip to Northern Australia, Africa (where this story is set), South America or even for alligators in the southern US states such as Florida or anyone venturing into the sewer systems under New York City. If you are not planning on visiting any of these areas, it is also a very entertaining little story!

i love this book - and I'm an adult who has no children...but has a penchant for either books read as a child or every once in a while a title jumps out at me - and this one was it! So cute even my older siblings got a cute laugh out of it , my sis ordered it as a gift for a friend's kid! Too fun ...not one to dissect a story - rather you enjoy it for yrself...kids will love it- not scary!
Perhaps good tale, for a picky eater or to strive for more! Goal squads!

This is a pretty horrific book. I picked it up and started reading it to my Florida born biracial daughter and realised that the story was referencing the old slave master tradition of using slave babies to lure the alligators so that they could catch the alligator. Sometimes they would offer the mother money for the use of the child, other times they would just take the child and use it as alligator bait, sometimes surviving and sometimes not. Do some research on it.
I was willing to give this book the benefit of the doubt until I got to the page where the child was sitting by the river - and it was a black child!
This book is a whole lot of NOPE. I will never read it to my children and if I ever see it in a library I will insist that it is removed and destroyed.

Little Achilles the crocodile is asserting his first stabs at independence to his parents--he turns into a finicky eater and demands some grown-up food. "But we eat bananas for breakfast," his mother entreats. Achilles' parents try to entice him with his favorite foods: chocolate cake (sneakily made with lots of fresh milk) or a long sausage. The parents theatrically pretend it's a disaster: "Boo-hoo-hoo! Our Achilles won't eat" and let the youngster test the waters of his individual power. "Achilles was beginning to feel strange and rather weak all over--which is exactly what happens when you haven't eaten your breakfast," so he heads off for a swim where he spies a little girl. Expounding all his ferociousness to the little girl, Achilles comes across as ridiculously little and cute. The girl grabs him by the tale, tickles his belly, gets bored and splunks him in the river. Achilles goes home to eat his bananas, and look forward to the day he is big enough to eat a child. This is excellent storytime fare from a French author and illustrator team. Do not overlook the fun this story brings forth!

I love this book and use it with students who are seriously picky eaters. Not all things that you want to eat are good for you (I have worked with students who have Pica or who limit their food because of sensory issues)! Not a good idea to eat people. We discuss why it is funny and how the parents tried to redirect.

I wanted this book to read to my adorable grandchildren before I sent them to bed. It did not scare them or convince them to go to sleep right away. They really got a good chuckle out of it. They ask me to read this before they go to bed and I also read to them the book "All my friends are dead" . My 2nd grade grandson can read the book by himself.

Young Achilles wakes up one day and decides that he would really like to eat a child. His mother only has bananas for him and points out that "children don't grow on banana trees". Achilles refuses the bananas in hopes for a child for breakfast. Later on his father brings him a giant sausage. Achilles refuses this meal also, even though his father tells him that "there's no such thing as a sausage made from children".

His parents decide to appeal to their son's sweet tooth and hope that a chocolate cake will help him forget his silly idea. And even though his parents made a magnificent and huge chocolate cake, Achilles just wasn't interested. He had his heart set on a child to snack on. His parents were very distressed - Achilles hadn't eaten all day! Achilles himself was "beginning to feel strange and week all over" and he decides a swim will fix him up. Down at the river he sees a girl playing. Despite his excitement he creeps up slowly on the child and gave his best, but very tiny, roar. The girl that that the teeny-tiny crocodile was the cutest thing ever (though too scrawny, he needed to eat more) so she picked him up and played with him. Little Achilles did not like being manhandled, tickled, and finally thrown into the river when the girl was tired of playing. He climbed out of the river, hungrier than ever.

"Darn! I blew it! he said.
And he ran all the way home shouting, "Daddy, Mommy!
Quick, give me some bananas! I have to grow bigger...
Big enough to eat a child!"

Of course I originally bought this book for my school library because of the title - it's awesome! I enjoy I'd Really Like to Eat a Child despite it's clumsy message to eat healthy and not to skip meals. My students love the little bitty crocodile who wants to eat a child. They laugh at the idea of children growing on trees and sausages made of children. I've read it to our 3 year olds in Pre-K and they love the ridiculousness of it. It never occurred to me that this might be a scary book. Imagine my surprise when I read some reviews that thought this was a horrible and disturbing story. Maybe it depends on how you read it and it is always important to keep your audience in mind. If your child, or the child you're buying for, is easily scared then maybe this isn't the book for them.

Great concept but it gets tripped up by the healthy eating message. Some consider it a scary book, but I, and my youngest students, think it's lots of fun. Pick I'd Really Like to Eat a Child up from your local library.

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This was pretty funny. I llike the premise. I thought there may be more obstacles the main character had to overcome to get the child. But it is a clever way to approach the idea of "there's a time an a place for everything."

I came across this book before my daughter was born and immediately read it aloud in the bookstore. I couldn't resist. Since she was a wee tot I have been reading this to her, and she has quickly caught on to the fact that at one point in the story she is going to get tickled, as does the main character.

The story is simple enough that we can add a lot of improvisational commentary on the ludicrousness of a crocodile eating cake and bananas, or even that a cake can be cooked and frosted using a cauldron and a scary knife wielded by dad like a green O.J. Simpson.

Two pages before the pivotal come-uppance of the story my now 11-month-old daughter puffs up and grins with barely contained anticipation of the story-meets-reality tickling she will get on her belly.

She enjoys Dr.Seuss and goodnight moon, but she looks as excited for I'd Really Like to Eat a Child as little Achilles does for the giant chocolate cake, without the pancakes-like letdown.

A cute, hilarious, innocent book about a little crocodile named Achilles who decides he wants to hunt down little children, even though his parents keep telling him to eat bananas for breakfast if he wants to grown big and strong. Achilles is a very loveable character, and the punchline to the story is lots of fun. If you enjoyed this one, you might also want to check out Mo Willems' "Leonardo The Terrible Monster," which has a similar plot and an equally adorable hero. (ReadThatAgain!)

What a cute, cute book! The title is hilarious. My parents got it for our daughter for Christmas. She loves it! The artwork is fantastic and captures exactly the stubborness of a determined toddler. It definitely makes you chuckle. This is one of my husband's and my favorite books to read to our little girl and she requests it often. Highly recommended, especially for a gift!

Our daughter really loves this humorous book! The story is funny and the illustrations are really great! This book is especially a good choice for kids that are picky eaters because it shows in a humorous way that kids can relate too, the importance of eating your food.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The story is simple enough, about a crocodile who wants to eat a girl and his parent crocodiles who try to convince him otherwise, but he goes out on his own to try to find a child anyways. It has such weird things in it like the fact that normally the crocodiles eat bananas. However the illustrations are fun and the crocodiles look so cute, toothy grins aside and the girl is pretty. But she is more daring than safe. And I don't like the message being sent that it's ok to play with animals roughly that I can't recommend this book, as the little girl does quite a bit of this. I read it with my three year old who was the intended audience (3-6 year olds) but he was not worldly enough to grasp the humor that the author probably intends more for the adult reader than the child. The pictures were nice and colorful, but I just didn't enjoy the book and my son didn't all that much either.