Figaro and Rumba

Figaro and Rumba and the Crocodile Cafe, Anna Fienberg and Stephen Michael King (Allen & Unwin)

Figaro and Rumba are best friends. 

Figaro is a dog who loves to run like the wind. 

And Rumba is a cat who once sang and danced in Cuba. 

When they catch the Very Fast Train that goes all the way to the beach, they meet a cunning crocodile with conga drums and an elegant satin waistcoat. Surely such a musical creature couldn't be a villain? 

This is lovely. It is well told, beautifully illustrated and a little bit funny. The chapters are perfectly sized for bedtime reading, and within them is a variety of enjoyable adventures. 

And the crocodile with the conga drums and the voice like icing (all thin on top and nothing underneath) and the elegant satin waistcoat is my new favourite potential villain.