When Mr. Crocodile neatly plans out his schedule for the next day, he neglects to factor in the antics of the five cheeky monkeys who seem to enjoy his company more than he does theirs. In fact, he’s secretly planning to catch, cook and eat them for dinner — at 4, 5 and 6 o’clock, respectively!

 
As expected, however, his plans are inadvertently thwarted by the monkeys’ hijinks — and thankfully so. After all, friends don’t eat friends, do they? The way the book is structured invites kids to chime in with the question, “What time is it, Mr. Crocodile?” on almost every spread, as asked by the monkeys, which can make for an interactive read; the rhymed responses from Mr. Crocodile are also cleverly worded and fun to read aloud.

But the highlight of What Time Is It, Mr. Crocodile? is the lively characterisation of the poor beleaguered Mr. Crocodile and the humorous antics of the five monkeys in the illustrations. The illustration on every spread also includes a prominent clock that kids can not only use to learn to tell time, but also relate it back to the schedule that Mr. Crocodile made at the beginning of the story — and perhaps be similarly inspired to plan out their own day.