Very Boring Alligator ANNOTATION
Simple rhymes describe what happens when an alligator comes to play and won't go away.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Nothing will make this boring gator leave: saying "pretty please" doesn't do it; even making heebie jeebie eyes doesn't help. Very Boring Alligator just doesn't seem to get it. The Gator Cops are called in to assist--but then THEY won't go away. With all these unwanted guests romping on the couch, somebody will have to take charge! Luckily, a very resourceful little girl is ready to put her foot down...
Jean Gralley's offbeat sense of humor and wonderfully animated illustrations turn an awkward social situation into a very entertaining tale.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
An obstinate alligator, an equally tenacious redheaded girl and an irresistible purple couch take center stage in Gralley's (Hogula, Dread Pig of Night) imaginative tale of a play date gone awry. Snappy, simple rhymes relate the girl's frustration when a reptile who came to play won't budge from her couch. "All I really wanted/ was to slouch upon my couch./ But Gator made me grumpy, oh,/ that Gator made me grouch." She resorts to calling the handlebar-mustached, bobby hat-wearing Gator Raiders, who come "with sirens wailin' and their gator poles a-flailin'." But rather than oust him, they rambunctiously join the alligator on the alluring couch. The gouache-and-ink artwork reflects this crescendo of action as white backdrops give way to bright yellow and orange geometric patterns with the words "Wheeee" and "Yahooooo" worked into the foray of color. Only when the expressive redhead's thunderous commands of "STOP!" get results does the background return to a calmer pale yellow and then to white. "Oh! Now I get it!" the raiders and the alligator sheepishly acknowledge in cartoon bubbles. When the girl finally relaxes on her couch with a loud "Ahhhhhhhhh" (and a "See you later, alligator") she realizes she is the "Boss of Play, every day!" Bosses of Play everywhere will cheer on this heroine. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
Anyone who has enjoyed Gralley's engaging illustrations in the children's magazine Cricket will be glad to see them again in her new book. An alligator comes to play with a young lady and finds her couch so comfortable that he decides to stay. She tries everything she can think of to dislodge him—noises, faces, even the Gator Cops—but he won't budge. Finally at the end of her patience, she learns that a strong approach is the only way. A loud STOP and another loud GO from her mouth work wonders. The author's free-form rhymes are a delight to read aloud, and young readers will come away having learned several things—it's good to be patient through an unpleasant situation but then take steps to correct it. Also, it's best to have an allotted time for play¾as for study and work. And the last lesson¾when everything depends on you, don't hesitate, but ACT. These morals are all conveyed with a few telling drawings and poems. Parents and children's librarians will have fun reading the book aloud and will find that kids ask for it again and again as a special treat. 2001, Henry Holt, $15.95. Ages 2 to 6. Reviewer: Earlene Viano
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-A little girl has a big problem: a very boring alligator comes to play one day and simply won't leave. When the child realizes that the reptile is becoming a permanent fixture on her purple couch, she calls in the experts: the Gator Raiders, a trio of Keystone Cop look-alikes. But, instead of getting rid of the loiterer, they join him on the soft sofa. "They were laughin'/and a-pushin'/and a-jumpin'/on the cushion" until the child takes matters into her own hands and makes them "STOP!" After that, she decides when Alligator can come to play "'Cause I'm the Boss of Play/every day!" The lively text begs to be read aloud, and the large double-spread gouache-and-ink illustrations will work well in a group setting. Purple is the dominant color, with the couch front and center in most of the pictures, set off by white space. During the brouhaha, the background changes to a noisy yellow but settles down after the girl establishes control. Typeface changes and dialogue balloons add interest to the rollicking tale of a tiresome, lounging lizard.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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