After A While Crocodile: Alexa's Diary    by Brady Barr, Jennifer Keats Curtis & Susan Detwiler Order:  USA  Can Arbordale, 2016 (2016) Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Alexa's school in Costa Rica is working on a special conservation project. They are raising American crocodiles brought to them as eggs by Dr. Brady Barr, a scientist and reptile expert. American crocodiles are a threatened species and are key to the ecosystem in the river where they support other living things. Alexa calls her crocodile Jefe and she keeps a daily diary of his life as he grows strong enough to return to the river. She feeds him pieces of chicken and frog which he swallows whole. Jefe means boss in Spanish. He's named that because he seems to think he is in charge of the other baby crocodiles. Alexa uses Spanish words throughout her journal, always giving a translation. Photos, taken by Dr. Barr also follow Jefe's growth, and diagrams compare the crocodile with his smaller relative, the spectacled caiman. The Creative Mind section at the end of the book includes a fun chart comparing crocodile teeth to those of a child. The crocodile's teeth are critical to his survival. New teeth grow whenever he loses them. The Arbordale Publishing website offers additional resources and quizzes. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews