Product description A hardcover picture book and readalong cassette enhanced with music and sound effects explore life in Zambia's Luangwa River Valley as seen through the eyes of a mother crocodile and her newly hatched babies. Read by Randye Kaye. From School Library Journal Grade 1-4-This survival story of a mother crocodile and her newly hatched babies describes some of the dangers of life in Zambia's Luangwa River Valley, one of the few places where Nile crocodiles still thrive in the wild. As the baby crocs make their journey from shore to nursery pool, a variety of hungry predators (e. g. marabou storks, monitor lizards, and fish eagles) threaten their safety. When drought strikes the valley, the race for survival is on. Teams of crocodiles lurk beneath the water, waiting to seize thirsty animals as they approach the river's edge. Alan Male's illustrations provide an attractive background for the text, featuring underwater views of crocodiles as well as other animals above the water's surface. An accompanying glossary identifies Luangwa flora and fauna and folds out into a panoramic view of animals along the river. A map and brief description of the Luangwa River Valley wildlife sanctuary is included. Factual material regarding the longevity of crocodiles as a species may not be sufficient for reports but will spark interest for further reading. The accompanying tape is evenly paced and smoothly narrated by Randye Kaye. The story springs to life against a background of animal and jungle sound effects. A single musical tone indicates when readers should turn the page. School librarians and teachers looking to add material to their collections on ecology, environment, or wildlife will find this well-presented package an intriguing introduction for beginning readers. Pair it with Seymour Simon's Crocodiles & Alligators (HarperCollins, 1999) for an in-depth look at crocodile behavior or use with Fred Marcellino's I, Crocodile (HarperCollins, 1999) for a science unit with a lighter touch. Celeste Steward, Contra Costa County Library, Danville, CA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From AudioFile [Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with MOUNTAIN MISTS. ]--In association with the Nature Conservancy, Soundprints (publisher of children's nature materials, not to be confused with Soundprint, the radio documentary organization) has produced these two titles as part of a series of interactive storybook sets. The short programs are repeated on both sides of the cassette, once with page-turning signals and once without. Randye Kaye's gentle voice guides the listener through these two stories: one about a mother crocodile raising her hatchlings on the Luangwa River in the Zambian floodplain; the other about a young female mountain gorilla's search for a mate in the Virunga Mountains. Beautifully produced, with sound effects taken from the environments in which the stories are set, these two interactive storybooks are available as a print book or an audiobook, as well as in gift sets containing both, along with a plush stuffed animal. S. E. S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine