ALLIGATOR BOY

In rhyming couplets, Rylant expertly unfolds a quirky tale about a boy who is “tired of being a boy” and “hope[s] to be somebody new.” He gets his wish when a package with an alligator suit arrives on his doorstep. Rylant’s elegant writing and understated humor are matched perfectly by Goode’s watercolor illustrations. Goode’s generous use of white space focuses our attention on the characters that she imbues with copious charm and personality. The witty language and engaging, dynamic pictures, as well as the warmly nostalgic atmosphere, will attract parents and children alike. What’s more, its whimsy and fancy extend to the final page: The alligator boy does not have a change of heart and decide to turn back into a boy. Neither is the story revealed to have taken place in his imagination or his dreams. Instead, Rylant and Goode close the story with a picture of their main character asleep on his mother’s lap, his alligator tail hanging down from the chair, and the reassuring message that his is “a good green life for an alligator boy.” (Picture book. 4-8)