Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl juggles strengths, disabilities in captivating fantasy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When THE MAID AND THE CROCODILE begins, Small Sade, a 17-year-old girl, ages out of the orphanage where she lives and heads to a nearby village to find work. Small Sade has vitiligo and a weak foot that causes her to walk with a cane. As a Curse-Eater, she also has a magical ability to cleanse people's spirits. Various gods make contact with Sade, and she unwittingly obligates herself to helping a crocodile god break a curse on him.
Is It Any Good?
Rich, complex characters make this book interesting and absorbing. In The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko, the main character lives with a physical disability, vitiligo, and poverty, but she understands how to protect herself from harm and how to tap into her strengths. This beautiful book about finding companionship and community can be read as a standalone, but readers may want to explore the Raybearer duology first, both for insights into the characters and to avoid spoilers for the other books.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to have a visible disability. Do you or does anyone you know use a wheelchair or cane, or any assistive device? In what ways do The Maid and the Crocodile's main character's experiences with her disabilities contribute to her empathy?
The main character of The Maid and the Crocodile sometimes speaks to someone she addresses as "you," giving commentary on the story. Why do you think the author chose to do that? What effect did it have on you as a reader?
Talk about the themes of purpose and perseverance in The Maid and the Crocodile. How do you choose your personal goals and stick with them? How important are the expectations of other people, such as your family, teachers, friends, or society?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Amulet Books
- Publication date : August 13, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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