Description Book 7 in the touching 'Picture Books with Heart' series. In a zoo enclosure, the crocodiles are all playing together—except for Rula, who sits apart from his friends with a gloomy look on his face. Why does Rula seem so troubled while everyone else at the zoo is having fun? Passersby stop to guess what might be bothering him, each projecting their own thoughts and worries onto him. But as time goes on, Rula only frowns more and starts to groan in discomfort. What could possibly be making Rula so restless? This is a wonderfully imaginative story about a crocodile that will spark children's curiosity and creativity. This product does not include a table of contents. The crocodiles are all together. But Rula is alone. "Huh? Why is that crocodile all by himself?" asked a child riding on his father's shoulders. "Maybe he got in trouble for wetting himself," said a photographer nearby. "Rula, what are you doing?" On a bright spring day at a cheerful zoo, Rula sits apart from his crocodile friends, all alone. Everyone who passes by has their own theory. A child who often wets the bed thinks, "Did he get scolded for peeing?" A child visiting with her grandmother wonders, "Does he miss his mom?" A poet imagines, "Maybe he's thinking up a poem." A heavyset man guesses, "Is he hungry?" Children on a picnic wonder, "Maybe he doesn't want to go to his after-school classes." Why is Rula the crocodile really alone? Let's discover the secret together. Written by Shin Won-mi Recent works: Rula the Crocodile, The Black Santa, Grandpa Who Dances Ballet, and others (3 titles total) About the author: Shin Won-mi studied church music at Yonsei University and worked for many years as a church organist. She began keeping a diary at age nine and continues to do so today. Her book Grandpa Who Dances Ballet won the 34th Saemteo Award and was included in the third-grade Korean language elementary school textbook. Her published works include Grandpa Who Dances Ballet and The Black Santa. She continues to write books for children. Illustrated by Lee Sun-ju Recent works: (4 titles total) About the illustrator: Lee Sun-ju studied visual design in college and is currently a member of the creative group 'Ttoraeol.' Her illustrated works include The Dinosaur Boss Election, A Wonderful Party in the Forest, Our House Is the Best, Yummy Colors, First Grade Storytelling Science Tales, Draw It Freely, and Three Little Monkeys. Most people tend to view situations strongly from their own perspective. Rather than seeking the truth behind why something happened, we often jump to assumptions and judgments. This tendency creates misunderstandings and mistrust, leading to bickering and sometimes even serious conflict. The same thing happens in Rula the Crocodile. When zoo visitors see Rula sitting apart from the group, they project their own personal experiences onto him, making judgments filled with bias and self-centered assumptions. Hasty guesses and judgments like these can easily block real communication and understanding between people. That's why I wanted to tell children a simple, engaging story about prejudice and preconceptions. My hope is that when children encounter a situation, they will approach it directly, communicate with empathy, and try to understand things from the other person's point of view. After all, children are the ones who will carry our future forward. A Wonderfully Imaginative Crocodile Story In a zoo enclosure, the crocodiles are all playing together. But Rula sits apart from his friends, looking gloomy. Why does Rula seem so serious when everyone else at the zoo is having a great time? People come by and project their own thoughts and assumptions onto him. But as time passes, Rula only frowns more and begins to groan. Take a closer look around Rula—you might just discover the real reason for his restlessness.