Review: When Crocs Fly, by Stephan T. Pastis

Title: When Crocs Fly

Series: Pearls Before Swine

Author: Stephan T. Pastis

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Date of Publication: July 12, 2016

Number of Pages: 176

*I've received an ARC of the book via Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher.

Summary

From Stephan Pastis, the New York Times best-selling author of Timmy Failure , comes the always hilarious cast of Pearls Before Swine in this fourth special collection for kids.

Sure, crocs can fly . . . just not in the way you might expect. This spectacular feat usually involves an impenetrable wall, zip lines, gravity, and an appetizing zebra on the other side. In this collection of cartoons specially chosen for kids, the gang from Pearls Before Swine gets into adventures you have to see to believe.  Join Rat and Pig—the brains and the pawn—as they attempt the first 3D comic; see what happens when the luckless crocs adopt two Oreos (penguins); and roll your eyes with Goat as he tries desperately to keep his sanity in the midst of these antics.

 

Flying (Falling) Crocs Ahead!

Review

When Crocs Fly by Stephan Pastis is the 4th volume of the “Pearls Before Swine” series. The comic strip collection features strips with sarcastic humor and puns, and some strips focused heavily on physical comedy bits. Unfortunately, the humour wasn’t for me, as I often found myself indifferent to the punchline. Having said that, I will admit that I enjoyed the Pig/Goat/Rat strips rather than the Crocs/Zebra strips as they tended to be of the more sarcastic type. Even those were sometimes too mean for me, especially the way that Rat often talks to the Goat.  

One question I had throughout reading this collection though was what was its intended audience. On the blurb, we read that this is a collection for children. Yet, I didn’t find that the humour in this book would be something that a kid might enjoy.

All in all, When Crocs Fly is a quick read as the strips are only 1–2 pages long. However, you will enjoy this book only if you enjoy this particular type of humour.