In the middle of a great jungle, there lived a great lion who was also a great king...

In the same jungle, the loveable scatterbrained tiniest monkey gets taken for a ride by the bad-tempered crocodile. How will he escape? What will the great lion say? And can the little monkey keep his mouth from having accidents?

Children around the world gasp and giggle at the tiniest monkey's adventure, and along the way they learn a powerful lesson about forgiveness. Colin Pearce, an Australian, draws on the best elements of African, Indonesian, and English folklore to weave a tale with universal application. It bears a striking resemblance to Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant, an even older story about the importance of forgiveness.

1991 Best Children's Book - Chicago Book Fair

"I hope all the kids who read it share it with their parents. I could change the world." Jeffrey Blair, General Manager, Bookhouse Australia

"There is something enduring and universal about the folklore of the world. It spans continents and oceans, and links nations and centuries. 'The Monkey and the Crocodile' is no exception, simultaneously wry and earnest, ancient and modern, its theme of forgiveness being a central precept for human beings for thousands of years." Colin Thiele, Author

This book is a great teacher. Our girls have learnt from the mean old crocodile that it doesn't pay to be greedy and selfish. The book is a real favourite and is most often the pick of the bookshelf" Chris & Jo Newman, Salisbury, South Australia

Companion video Forgive & Forget also available