Available exclusively through Design Within Reach, Lucy the Crocodile is the latest design from David Weeks Studio for the New York City-based design company Areaware. Joining a wooden toy menagerie including Ursa the Bear, Hanno the Gorilla, Simus the Rhino, Hattie the Elephant, and Victor the Wild Boar, Lucy is a 20″ long crocodile with moveable limbs and a jaw that opens and closes. Made with sustainably harvested beech wood, Lucy’s elastic held “muscles”allow her solid wood frame to be positioned in numerous poses.

“The crocodile seemed like a good step after the wild boar,” explains Weeks. “I’ve wanted to imbue them with an energy that toys of this genre are usually missing [while] at the same time avoiding painting graphic comic book style faces on them to make it easier to decipher their personality.”

Was creating the crocodile more difficult than the others? “Each animal has had its own set of challenges,” says Weeks. “For Lucy, I wanted the mouth to snap close. I imagined the elastic band starting under the chin from the very beginning and we managed to keep that feature to the end.” Weeks says he also has an unwritten rule that the figures need to be able to stand on two legs whether the species does or not. “Lucy can switch to Godzilla mode if you set her tail and back legs in the correct combination of positions.” Sounds good to me, and about every kid out there that wants to take over their brother’s Lego village. $165 USD.