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Jock the Croc is a whimsical children's poetic tale that recounts the life of a crocodile named Jock, whose life undergoes a peculiar metamorphosis.
It all begins with his name, mysteriously endowing him with an ever-increasing sense of Scottishness. As the story unfolds, Jock transforms into a fully-fledged tartan-clad, bagpipe-playing Scotsman with a weakness for haggis, much to the bewilderment of his family and fellow crocodiles, who content themselves with lounging on riverbanks.
The plot thickens when, many years later, it is revealed that Jock is not only alive but may be encountered in the wilds of either Scotland or Africa. Children adventuring through lochs jungles might hear Jock upon his pipe. Those fortunate enough to find him might also be led to his secret Scottish city inhabited by hundreds of kilt-wearing crocodiles.
It's said that an encounter with Jock the Croc could impart that same Scottishness that transformed his life. So, you may find yourself saying "Och aye the noo!" when you meant to say something entirely different - so it really could happen to you!
About the author
S. M. Robert spent forty years as a children's photographer (as Steve Mussell) and many of his book ideas come from mini-stories he told his young and often timid subjects to get them in the mood for a shoot. Influenced by Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and C. S. Lewis his appetite isfor larger-than-life and comic tales often written as poetry. He has five children and nine grandchildren. He and his Ukrainian wife Asya live in London, but how he met her there and romanced her in Kyiv is the subject of another story.
