I'd Really Like to Eat a Child

My little girls chose a picture book at the library recently: I'd Really Like to Eat a Child by Sylviane Donnio, illustrated by Dorothee de Monfreid.  I thought the title was pretty weird, and the first time I read it to them I thought, "that was an incredibly random book."  But the girls LOVED it, so I read it to them again today.  This time, I was inspired by the story, and I want to share it with you.     

Meet Achilles.  He is a young crocodile whose parents feed him bananas every day for breakfast.  Then one morning, he refuses the bananas, saying "today, I'd really like to eat a child."  His father brings him a sausage, but Achilles refuses that as well, repeating his wish to eat a child.  Then his parents make him a chocolate cake, knowing that he has a sweet tooth, and assuring themselves that when he sees the cake, "he'll totally forget this silly idea."  But even the beautiful cake does not deter Achilles.  He still wants to eat a child, and refuses the cake as well.  Finally, feeling a little bit yucky from not eating all day, Achilles goes down to the river for a swim.  He is overjoyed to see a little girl playing all by herself on the riverbank.  "Yippee!" he says.  "Finally, I'm going to eat a child."  He creeps up on her, teeth bared and ready to pounce:

This is the first time in the book that we see how small Achilles is relative to a human.  The child, not realizing that her life is in grave danger, cries, "Oh!  Look at that.  A teeny-tiny crocodile!  He's awfully cute!  And so scrawny!  He must not eat very much."  She catches Achilles by the tail, tickles his belly, and throws him into the river.  He runs home, excited, happy, and very hungry, shouting "Daddy, Mommy!  Quick, give me some bananas!  I have to grow bigger...BIG enough to eat a child!"

Achilles has a dream.  The people in his life don't take his dream seriously.  They think it is a silly dream, and try repeatedly to steer him off course.  At first, Achilles makes a small change and then waits for other people to make his dream come true.  When this plan fails, rather than giving up his dream, he tries something new.  He does something to strengthen himself, and in the process, the universe brings him closer to his dream than ever. 

 

I want to remember the expression on Achilles' face as he runs home from the river, dripping wet.  He has just been tickled and thrown into the water by the very person he was hoping to eat.  But look at the light in his eyes and the smile on his face.  He is not angry, he is not discouraged.  He is motivated and energized.  He is glowing with new information and an even better plan for making his dream come true: