LATER, GATOR

Teddy's younger brother, Bobby, is kind, helpful, and loving; Teddy therefore does what he must to make Bobby's life miserable.

But all that trusting innocence has a way of taking the fun out of the meanest pranks. When Teddy buys his brother an alligator for his birthday, Bobby loves his new pet and is infuriatingly grateful. All too aware of Teddy's real motives, the boys' parents are determined to get rid of the alligator. For once, the brothers are on the same side, and Teddy comes to recognize his real affection for his young sibling. This amusing, occasionally didactic, story is good fun for younger readers. While most of the peripheral characters are ciphers, Bobby is affectingly genuine; Teddy, though initially detestable, becomes more likable as the story progresses.

An entertaining ending is marred by an afterword expounding the villainy of mistreating pets, but this remains an interesting slice-of-life portrait based in San Francisco's Chinatown.