The Christmas Crocodile, with Alice Jayne in the Background
The Christmas Crocodile is a 1998 children's book written by Bonny Becker and illustrated by David Small.
On the night before Christmas, Alice Jayne discovers an adult crocodile under her family's Christmas tree, who in turn proceeds to go on an eating spree the likes of which the household has never seen before. As the Crocodile continues to "eat up Christmas" and the family wonders about how best to deal with the Crocodile, Alice Jayne and the Crocodile start to form a bond.
The Christmas Crocodile provides the following tropes:
- Absurdly Elderly Mother: Despite being the mother of Cousin Elwood (an older child), Aunt Figgy is an old woman with gray hair and wrinkles.
- Added Alliterative Appeal / Alliterative Title: The Christmas Crocodile
- All Animals Are Dogs: The Christmas Crocodile attempts to wag his tail in a friendly manner, but is thwarted by his choice of hiding place (Under Alice Jayne's bed).
- Ambiguously Related: It isn't clear whether Cousin Elwood is Alice Jayne's paternal cousin or maternal cousin.
- Arc Words: "The Christmas Crocodile didn't mean to be bad, not really."
- Balloon Belly: Happens to the Christmas Crocodile towards the end of the story after eating the family's Blue Spruce and almost all the presents.
- Christmas Carolers: Alice Jayne and her family enjoy a group of Carolers before the events of the story start.
- Extreme Omnivore: The Christmas Crocodile. A hot water bottle, a roast, chocolates, the Christmas tree (a Blue Spruce) and all but one of the presents are amongst the things the Christmas Crocodile consumes over the course of the story.
- Great White Hunter: Uncle Theodore.
- Green Gators: Downplayed, The Christmas Crocodile is a washed-out shade of olive green.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Aunt Figgy screams bloody murder when the Christmas Crocodile takes "a teeny, tiny bite" of her toe that only leaves behind a pinprick of blood behind.
- Leaving Food for Santa:The Christmas Crocodile eats the cookies that were left for Santa, amongst other things.
- Surprise Jump: Happens to Cousin Elwood, who hops vertically off the bed into the air when Aunt Figgy's screaming wakes the household up.
