Beatrice and Croc Harry

Pitch by Camille Labelle

Beatrice and Croc Harry is a book about a young black girl who wakes up with amnesia in a treehouse in the middle of the forest of Argilia. She befriends a crocodile named Harry, and both help each other discover their identities. This novel is a perfect example of a middle-grade book because the characters are discovering themselves, and readers can too. With the help of this novel, readers can read mirror experiences where they can develop empathy and understanding for the characters, and thus, for people outside of the story, in the real world.

Why does this book matter?

This book speaks for all those who feel different, who are searching for their identities and seeking a voice so that they can feel heard one day. Not only does it offer opportunities for windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for readers, but it also has diversity right in between the lines of the story and those who created the book. The main character is a young black girl with a cognitive/neurological disability, and its secondary character is an animal. The author is a multiracial Canadian man who seeks to engage, through his works with those who have suffered injustices and/or societal wrongs. Finally, the illustrator is a black woman passionate about animals, nature, symbolism, culture, and identity. Why not read a story where everyone is accepted no matter what species you are, the colour of your skin, where you came from, your gender, your sexuality, your beliefs, and whether you have a disability or not?

Articles & Interviews

Children’s and young adult literature can provide stories for readers to experience windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. These stories provide the truth about today’s society and what children and young adults experience in the real world, no matter how painful. It's important to remember how resilient and strong young readers are and how much they can feel empowered by stories they can relate to when asking the question “how much tragedy is too much tragedy?" Lawrence Hill tells The Hamilton Spectator that “if a child can live through painful moments, they can read about them” (Mahoney, 2022). In this article, the author talks about the race hatred Beatrice is haunted with and how the book handled it beautifully. I agree with the article, Lawrence Hill wrote this story with “compassion and openness to understanding, even those who seem quite beyond the reach” (Mahoney, 2022).

Watch Hill’s interview with CHCH News, where he talks about his daughter Beatrice, his inspiration for this book and the major themes of this beautiful story about race, identity, and healing:

"'Beatrice and Croc Hairy:' New children's book on race, identity, healing." Youtube, uploaded by CHCH News, 27 Jan. 2022, https://youtu.be/-0QW3vncM7c

The book’s powerful potential

Below, you will find an audio of a section of the book that captivated me and those I have spoken to about this story: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mXoUEwAjL4KZfHfJCm2h0b15GWO7R-3Z/view?usp=sharing 

This section of the book provides the reader with Beatrice's essence as a character and a strong storyline. The comic tone and sarcasm we see with Beatrice make us love the character already, and the way it’s written engages us to read more to find out what happens next. This section has much potential to captivate readers, who will want to know more about Beatrice and her journey. 

I believe children's and young adult literature is screaming for diversity, and all we need are authors willing to put their stories and their voices out there, providing children with a place to go where they feel accepted and safe. Then maybe one day, the world will learn from these books and mirror them.