The Croc and the Platypus is the first picture book by children's poet Jackie Hosking and is beautifully illustrated by Marjorie Crosby-Fairall. This gorgeous book takes its inspiration from The Owl and the Pussycat and has as its protagonists the unlikely pairing of a crocodile and a platypus. Jackie is a master (mistress?) of rhyme and the story rolls along as the two friends head off  ("They trundled away for most of the day, on a track where the shearers go..." ) across the Australian country side and camp beneath the Southern Cross. This book is charming and funny and will, I am sure, become a favourite of both parents and children alike. It is published by Walker Books Australia.