VERY BORING ALLIGATOR

Gralley (Hogula: Dread Pig of Night, 1999, etc.) sends up the flag in salute of that time-honored system for sending unwanted guests on their way: screaming at them to go. A big green alligator is making himself altogether too comfortable on a little girl’s couch. He’s the “blee blee bloo bloo blah blah” type, and the girl is anxious to be rid of the bore. She pleads, she makes scary faces, and when the alligator begins to jump up and down on the sofa, she calls the gator cops, “to haul his tail to jail.” Unfortunately, the cops fall in love with the couch, too, and start to kick up the cushions with their own brand of fun. That is until the girl decides to holler, “STOP!” That gains the cops’ attention. “GO!” drives home the message. (These great, blaring, full-page words also make for some joyful read-along yodeling.) Since the gator hadn’t quite caught the drift, she repeats the commands to him. He finally takes his leave. A boring alligator is not exactly a likely candidate for such a rollicking role, but Gralley pulls it off with flair, investing the little girl with all the energy the dullard alligator lacks. And the artwork crackles, too, wild gestures and electric colors streaming from margin to margin. (Picture book. 3-7)