Crocodile basked in the sun on the banks of the Mara River. The sun was warm. The water was cool. It was the perfect combination and that made Crocodile very, very sleepy. Crocodile thought to himself, "I'll just close my eyes for a minute." And so, he did.

A herd of Wildebeests watched Crocodile. They wanted to cross the river to the other side where the grass was greener. They saw Crocodile close his eyes. But they were wary. They knew Crocodile could be playing with them.

The herd inched closer to the banks of the Mara River. And closer. And closer. . . Crocodile did not move. Nor did Crocodile's eyes. What to do?The Mara River flows through Kenya and Tanzania, in beautiful Africa, and it is central to the wildlife of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. Every year more than a million Wildebeests cross the Mara River as they follow the rains to greener pastures. And the crocodiles await the great migration. This story, inspired by a once-in-a-lifetime safari in Africa where the land and wildlife are spectacular, touches on the challenges that the Wildebeests and crocodiles face in their daily efforts to survive.

My goal is to share with young readers the magnificence of our Planet Earth, and the challenges wild creatures face. The more we know about our beautiful planet, its people, places, and living creatures, the more we can be inspired to care for our strong but vulnerable planet, and all the living things with which we share the planet.