The Enormous Crocodile - Roald Dahl (1978)
This was my first time through this novella.
It was a powerful read. The themes are stark. The naked ambition of the Crocodile that is motivated only by greed and cruelty are a stark contrast to his more hopeful works such as The BFG.
Some might say it's pretty simplistic in its portrayal of pure moral evil. Indeed the crocodile frequently telegraphs his ambitions to eat up "crunchy, squishy little children" and it's this desire to laud his naked ambition that leads to his downfall.
I do wonder if the book might have carried more emotional weight if the Roly Poly Bird and the Hippo had a further characterisation. All we know of them is they find the crocodile morally repugnant and hubristic and are motivated to thwart his ambitions.
After reading War and Peace it was good to read something in which good and evil are more clearly defined. Evidence you can write bold provocative literature without nuance.