by Cynthia Rylantillustrated by Diane Goode
Harcourt 2007
After a visit to a museum a boy decides he'd rather be an alligator. A gift of a costume alligator tail and head provide an instant transformation. Now he can deal with bullies fearlessly, enjoys school more, thrives.
Rylant's breezy rhyme and Goode's light drawings make an absurd-but-real situation and make it fun. Perfect for reading to the little boy who insists on wearing his superhero pajamas all the time, equally for any child who feels they are somehow different, trapped within conformity.
My only complaint is that as good as it is, it feels thin. I'm not so sure this deserves its own book as it does a place in a collection of shorter story-poems, the way Edward Lear's works were collected.
1 comment:
I couldn't help but love that the book didn't end with the kid being told he couldn't be an alligator 24/7. I agree with you about how thin the book feels. Also, the rhymes don't always scan as nicely as they might. Still, a lovely little book.
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