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THE ALLIGATOR WHO CAME FOR DINNER

Name: THE ALLIGATOR WHO CAME FOR DINNER
Author: Steve Smallman
ISBN: 978-1-68010-245-1

by Steve Smallman ; illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 2021

Appearances can be deceiving in this delightful tale.

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Could Wolf and Little Lamb be making a huge mistake when they adopt a baby alligator?

After best friends Little Lamb and Wolf discover a large egg, Wolf envisions turning it into an omelet, but Little Lamb reminds him there’s a baby inside. They take the egg home, where it cracks open and a tiny alligator emerges. Little Lamb names the alligator Omelet, and he quickly attaches himself to Wolf, nibbling his ear and snuggling on his chest. Next morning, hungry Omelet trashes the kitchen and terrifies Wolf’s visiting friends—until he lathers them with “big, slobbery kiss[es].” Indeed, Omelet scares everyone until they realize just how friendly the little guy really is. Wolf assures them, “Omelet wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Badger disagrees, warning all that Omelet will gobble them up. When the river floods, the animals watch hopelessly as baby ducklings are swept away. Then Omelet surfaces, opens his huge jaws, and the ducklings disappear. Was Badger right, or is Omelet a hero? Playful cartoon illustrations, drawn with fine outlines and washed with cheery colors, rely on the wide-eyed, exaggerated facial expressions and body language of the animal characters to convey emotion and drama. Omelet may be an alligator, but he’s so darn cute, beguiling, and endearing, it’s easy to see why everyone loves him, despite his size, reptilian body, and toothy jaws.

Appearances can be deceiving in this delightful tale. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 20, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-68010-245-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ARMADILLO WHO CAME FOR DINNER
by Steve Smallman ; illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy

- BOOK REVIEW
THE TIGER WHO CAME FOR DINNER
by Steve Smallman ; illustrated by Joëlle Dreidemy

- BOOK REVIEW
POO IN THE ZOO
by Steve Smallman ; illustrated by Ada Grey

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)