Simply charming. Five stars for story line, layout, and illustrations. A little boy encounters an alligation in the forest. Just what the alligator was doing there in the first place, we don’t know. The alligator was caught in a vine. The little boy figures the gator was hungry so he tosses him food. Then, he sings the alligator a lullaby to get him to fall asleep so he can extricate said gator from vine.

Long story short (or rather short story shorter), the boy brings the alligator home and they become friends. However, when the boyt takes the alligator out on an excursion into town, things get tricky. At first the townspeople are scared. But the boy assures them that as long as they feed him leftovers, they will be safe. However, the mayor will have none of it. In the end, everyone lives happily ever after because despite the mayor’s decree, the townspeople feed the gator leftovers. A fun story for repeated readings.

This is a fun story. The illustrations are nice too. It's weird to see that kind of friendship but it just mean that we shouldn't judge people on how the look like on the outside.

This book kids will enjoy it has humor and a moral everything a good book needs. It is sure to be a hit in the library.

Oh this book is just adorable! Heart-warming story and beautiful illustrations. Loved the relevance of the plot too (judging others before you get to know them, especially outsiders) in today's society.

This story was a big hit in our house! The adults - aka me - loved it and when the little dude (who is nine) saw me reading it he wanted to read it, and he loved it too!

The story is that of a little boy and an alligator. It's a tale of friendship, of overcoming preconceived notions/prejudices and coming together as a community.

It's clever, fun and completely engaging. The illustrations are wonderful and the themes are painfully relevant to what's going on in the world today. I highly recommend it! Kids of all ages would be able to find something to love about this story but it's probably targeted at those who are 6/7 or younger.

I absolutely fell in love with this book and by the end I felt like a kid again reading one of my favorite books that I kept as an adult. I must have this to read to my girls and see if one of them will keep it in their save boxes! While the story started out a bit dark and then has quite a strong moral story that suits our day and age, by the end I was happy and wanting to turn around and read it all over again.

This is a very cute story. Wonderful illustrations. Very creative even with the description and a little bit of foreshadowing. Pleasing color palette.

This was a cute story about a boy and his unexpected animal friend. They are an unlikely pair that help change a town’s view, remind them to not make assumptions, and show how loud actions can speak. The story was a good pace for young ones to keep their attention, and the style of the illustration was very captivating and something that would appeal to children.

I really enjoyed everything about this book. The pictures and the characters are filled with color. In a small town a boy befriends a lonely alligator and convinces the townspeople that they should feed and hide the alligator despite the mayor's proclamation of "NO alligators!" I like that this book teaches the idea that when people come together changes can be made, and one can find friendship in unexpected places.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a fun picture book about a boy who finds an alligator one day when he goes out for a walk. The alligator has its foot caught and is very hungry. The boy feeds him and frees him and they become good friends.
People in the town are scared of the alligator until the boy explains he is just hungry and lonely. The town work together to feed the alligator food but the mayor wants him gone.

This is a good resource for children to be taught about empathy and compassion towards others but I think that at the end there should be a message to not try to pet or feed a real alligator as they are dangerous animals.

Here's yet another book that minimizes the dangers of wild animals. It might be appropriate for kids in northern latitudes, but it could be problematic for kids in alligator country.

A boy encounters an alligator in the woods, saves it, and eventually befriends it. But the mayor decrees that no alligators are allowed. The townspeople disobey the orders, feed the alligator their leftovers, and everyone is happy. (Except for the mayor; the text implies that he gets eaten, although the pictures suggest something else.)

I don't find books like this funny. I worry that kids will get the wrong idea about wild animals, especially in cases like this where the animal isn't anthropomorphized very much. The townspeople weren't being bigots when they worried about an alligator in their village; they were simply being logical.

The illustrations are okay, and the text is well written. Some kids will probably enjoy this one. But I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone who lives in a place where there's even a remote chance of an alligator turning up in the backyard; the consequences of a child thinking an alligator is a friendly pet could be disastrous.

What fun! AAAlligator! by Judith Henderson is a silly tale about the unlikeliest of friends, and the lengths people will go to help out. Although it's lighthearted at first glance, it really does have such a big heart to tackle some issues about being judgmental and letting fear run your life (don't worry, kindness wins the day!). The illustrations are so fun, and sometimes feel like a comic book. I really love this one and will be recommending it to everyone!

It was a fun story about the unique friendship between a boy and an alligator. The illustrations were beautifully done and the writings were easy to read. A perfect book for children who loves to read.

I requested and received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a fun picture book, with great illustrations! A boy walking in the woods discovers an alligator and he chooses to help the alligator. The two become friends, everyone is not so accepting, and the boy hides the alligator to keep it safe; what could go wrong?

This is an adorable story about protecting one's friends An alligator is found in the woods This alligator is hungry and his boy gives him food. The boy runs out of food and takes the alligator to town. The people are scared and the Mayor makes a proclamation banning alligators. This does not sit well with the townspeople. The boy says the alligator is useful and will eat their leftovers so the people feed him leftovers and the alligator hides. One day the alligator is too big to hide and the townspeople get creative. The alligator goes and so does the mayor. A new mayor comes and allows alligators.

Loyalty is an important value that children need to be taught, They need to stand up for their friends and protect them. The boy in this story does and the townspeople rally round him. everyone becomes the alligator's friend except the Mayor and he meets a funny end as told by the illustrations. This is a great story for children to explore and parents to read aloud.

I truly enjoyed this picture book. Although I don't have little ones anymore I would definitely recommend this to anyone who does. Both little boys and girls will adore the oh-so-cute pictures and storyline.

A young boy finds a trapped alligator in the woods. After feeding and freeing it, the two become friends, and they stand together when the town's mayor issues a blanket "no alligators" policy without actually meeting the said alligator.

This is a lovely little book about acceptance and diversity, compassion and standing up for what's right.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Once upon a time a little boy met an alligator in the forest. The alligator was lonely and hungry, so the boy after overcoming his fear, was ready to befriend the animal and welcome it in his hometown. But the mayor thought otherwise...

This beautifully illustrated book is about acceptance, it's about learning to get over our prejudices and see the good in each other. As such, this story clearly deserves our praise. However, it goes too far. The main antagonist in the book is the mayor, who issues a nonsensical proclamation that alligators are not welcome in his town. He speaks up many times throughout story against the newcomer - well, if we can actually call "bla bla bla" speaking up. SPOILER In the end, this man disappears and there is a great chance that he was eaten by our friend, the harmless alligator - and no one seems to mind. SPOILER END

The ending seems to suggest that that only way we can create a tolerant society is by violently removing those who are prejudiced. I find that violence as a way to solve problems (no matter how noble the underlying cause) is not a message I want to have in a children's book.

However, Andrea Stegmaier's illustrations are very pretty, so it's a real pleasure to just flip through the pages and admire the drawings.

* I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. *

This story reminds me of the dragon film where a kid befriends a dragon and works hard to make the whole accept him and stop them from trying to kill him. It's the same but with an alligator. and it was fun and sweet.


I thank Netgalley and Kids Can Press for the digital ARC.

"AAAligator" by Judith Henderson is a new children's book from Judith Henderson. It follows the story of a young boy who befriends an Alligator. This unlikely friendship is forged and the pair end up finding out that things aren't always what they seem when it comes what we "think" we know. The boy and everyone else in the town starts off afraid of the alligator, but they come to realize that different doesn't equal bad!

This story is a cute way to teach children about what it means to be openminded and kind. The boy and the alligator enjoy a lot of the same activities like listening to music, reading and riding scooters! Children can read this book and learn that although people are different, everyone should be given a chance! Our family enjoyed this book as it celebrates kindness and compassion for others!