Tomie dePaola has created two memorable friends in this wonderfully funny picture book. Bill, the crocodile, and Pete, his "toothbrush" bird friend, were inspired by the Egyptian plover, which does indeed act as a crocodile toothbrush.
Their adventures together along the banks of the River Nile, which include Bill's first day at crocodile school and an encounter with the Bad Guy from Cairo, are filled with the originality and offbeat humor of this favorite author-artist.

This is the first book we read by [a:Tomie dePaola|8725|Tomie dePaola|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1200682227p2/8725.jpg], as far as I'm aware. This is wonderful slapstick humor for 4 - 5 year olds. The pictures are really bright and funny too. What can you say about a crocodile who forms an intense friendship with his bird toothbrush?
My son brought up this book during his last dentist check-up. Surprisingly the dental assistant had never heard of it. "Have you heard of Doctor De Soto?", he then asked her. Makes me question the literary background of dental hygienists ...
We'll probably borrow the next one in the series about Bill and Pete, even though I suspect it might not hold up ... ( )

William chooses Pete to be his toothbrush. Pete helps William write his name as Bill. Bill gets caught in a cage by a suitcase maker and taken to his house. Pete picks the lock and Bill gets out and goes to wait in the man's bath tub for him. The man runs away and Bill's mom is very proud of him and Pete.

Bill is a crocodile who is captured by a bad guy to be made into a suit case. Bill's toothbrush, a bird, picks the lock just in time for bill to scare the bad guy and escape. The story ends with the crocs getting a wonderful dinner made by the bad guy's butler. (second grade)

www.tomie.com/ This site contains material about Tomie's books and things about becoming an artist.

Bill and Pete is a good book to read to early elementary school children. The story teaches many different principles such as morality, growing up, beginning school and the importance of friends. There is a lot taking place in the book so I would not recommend that early or emergent readers read the book to themselves. I do think I would be a favorite book for any small child. ( )