The Best in the World

K-Gr 2–Croc and Ally are back in two new additions to Anderson’s growing early reader series. Ally the alligator is kind but clueless, which classically plays against Croc the crocodile’s somewhat gruff yet accepting demeanor. Each book is comprised of three chapters, with each one running roughly 10 pages and ending with a simple punch line. In The Best in the World, Ally tries to brush the spots off his body, but just ends up drawing spots on Croc so they match. In A Lot to Like!, Ally uses a sock puppet version of Croc to get a more desired outcome. The format forgoes the pseudo-comic-book style of many modern easy readers, though the focus on humor and character certainly do check that box. Word choice is often simple and repeating, while harder words will be easy to sound out for most readers. Simple, colorful illustrations capture the characters well, with varied facial expressions and movement further adding to the humor.