The Tale of the Green Crocodile

About the Book

The Tale of the Green Crocodile Once upon a time, a small 4 year old child loved to read books about nature and animals. He carried one particular heavy book around the house. He learned the names of all the animals and the sounds they make, the colors and shapes. One day he had a dream about a journey by the river riding on the back of a green Crocodile. On the ride down the river, they encountered other lovely, small animals like a little turtle, ants, a mouse, a snail, and colorful butterflies. The small animals were fearful of the big Crocodile at the beginning as was the child when he first met the Crocodile. Once they talked and helped each other during the adventure, they learned to trust and enjoy each other’s company and the ride. Among laughter and cheer, they continued their journey. Let’s follow this delightful ride of adventure. Let’s listen to the concert of sounds - the happy symphony – the croaking of frogs, the singing of the cicadas, and the chirping of birds. The Tale of the Green Crocodile is a book for everyone in the family, a book of magical imagination that will open young eyes as well as old to the beauty of our natural world around us and the adventurous fantasy of a young boy. The bilingual text makes it perfect for both home and classroom libraries.

About the Author

Alvaro Barragan was born in Bogota, Colombia. He came to the USA in 1966 and since then continued living in New York. Alvaro was filled with compassion, playfulness and patience and was especially good with children. His lasts years were filled with the love for his grandson. Alvaro was a humble man who was a very talented artist, writer, photographer, color and pencil drawer, stamp and coin collector, swimmer, gardener and marathon runner. He was an avid reader who especially enjoyed history and heroes like Napoleon and Peter the Great. He loved all kinds of music and if he wasn’t listening to a CD, he was watching and learning from the latest nature program on TV. He wrote and illustrated a special short story called The Tale of the Green Crocodile and dedicated it to his grandson. We will always remember Alvaro’s wonderful sense of humor and will always hear in our hearts his playful laughter! He had a gift for knowing what would make someone happy and his thoughtfulness made each person he met feel special. Most of all he was a spiritual champion – and the depth of his relationship with God grew deeper during his illness. Alvaro lived life to the fullest with dignity and reverence for all people. He was a man of deep faith which would inspire us all. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, and their beloved daughter and her family. He is also survived by his now 97 year old father, and two sisters. Álvaro Barragan nació en Bogotá, Colombia. Llegó a los EE.UU. en 1966 y desde entonces vivió en Nueva York. Álvaro siempre demostró compasión, alegría y paciencia y fue especialmente bueno con los niños. Sus últimos años fueron llenos de alegría y amor por su nieto. Álvaro fue un hombre sin pretensiones, un artista muy talentoso, le gustaba dibujar, escritor, fotógrafo, coleccionista de estampillas y monedas, nadador, jardinero y maratonista. Era un ávido lector que disfrutaba de toda clase de lecturas sobre todo de historia y de héroes como Napoleón y Pedro, el grande. Amaba toda clase de música y si no estaba escuchando un CD, observaba y aprendía del último programa sobre la naturaleza en la televisión. Él escribió e ilustró un cuento especial llamado, El cuento del Cocodrilo verde, que dedicó a su nieto. Siempre recordaremos el maravilloso sentido de humor de Álvaro y su risa juguetona! Tenía un don especial para saber lo que haría feliz a cada persona que conocía y su manera de tratar a las personas las hacía sentir especiales e importantes. Más que nada fue un campeón espiritual – y la profundidad de su relación con Dios creció más profunda durante su enfermedad. Álvaro vivió la vida al máximo con dignidad y con reverencia para todas las personas. Era un hombre de profunda fe que nos inspiraría a todos. Le sobreviven su esposa de 40 años y su hija y su familia. Le sobreviven también su padre ahora de 97 años de edad y dos hermanas.