Alligator in the Basement [Hardcover]

Bob Keeshan (Author), Kyle Corkum (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

A young boy discovers that a wild imagination is a powerful thing--but it can also be a lot of fun!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Keeshan (Family Fun Activity Book) of Captain Kangaroo fame wades into familiar waters in this paper-over-board book, employing a potentially threatening beast to encourage kids to use?and remain in control of?their imaginations. When a hissing alligator crawls out of the washing machine, Granddad isn't at all intimidated, even though his grandson, the narrator, is terrified. Granddad has a suggestion: "Just tell him to go away. He's your alligator in the basement as much as mine." An additional attempt to show the power of creative thought produces a silly scene in which the boy meets another basement dweller, a monkey wearing a baseball shirt, the logo of which the child can change at whim. For all the talk about imagination, the art, blandly and cartoonishly rendering the narrator as relentlessly wide-eyed, lacks the inventiveness or vision that might have salvaged this meager, shopworn tale. Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K?Because of Keeshan's many fine contributions as TV's "Captain Kangaroo," this less-than-successful story about conquering fears through the triumph of imagination is doubly disappointing. A young boy, perhaps four years old, loves to visit his grandparents' house and has an exciting day when he accompanies his grandfather to the basement in search of a hammer. The grandfather warns the boy: "Be sure to watch out for Al." Who's Al? None other than an alligator who lives in the basement inside the washing machine. The same basement is also home to a baseball-loving monkey. Unfortunately, this is as far as the plot goes. The child's first-person narration is sprinkled with words such as "impolite" that just don't ring true. The plain cartoon drawings, executed with dull colors, are uninspired. They seem more typical of very ordinary 1950s artwork than the brilliant and exuberant illustrations of the 1990s. Moreover, the lack of congruency between the text and the illustrations is confusing. For example, when the grandfather describes rapidly, magically changing baseball T-shirts, socks, and umbrellas, the pictures remain static, revealing none of the cited changes. Although the message is a worthy one, the execution is sadly lacking.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Fairview Press (May 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 092519090X
• ISBN-13: 978-0925190901
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #973,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Alligator in the Basement, May 16, 2011

By 

Anna M. Ligtenberg "AnnaLovesBooks" (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Alligator in the Basement (Hardcover)

ISBN 092519090x -Printed in the United States of America. Age range not stated. Pictorial hardcover without dustjacket. 27 pages. Published by Fairview Press in 1996. By Bob Keeshan, illustrated by Kyle Corkum.

A young boy tells the story of visiting his grandparents, who he calls Gamma and Granddad. Gamma makes him laugh and Granddad does nice things with his grandson, like taking walks. One day, the pair goes into the basement for a hammer and Gamma warns them to watch out for Al, short for Alligator. The alligator, Granddad informs him, lives in the washing machine. Sure enough, the alligator comes out of the machine and hisses endlessly, scaring the boy - but not Granddad, who is very brave. They also meet a monkey on top of the furnace and Granddad tells the boy that he can change the monkey's shirt just by ordering it changed.

I hardly know where to begin. Because the back cover says the book is about using your imagination, you know that the boy and his grandparents are using their imaginations, but that's really the only reason you know that. There's very little in the book to indicate that the alligator, or the monkey, are imaginary, except a passing mention that Gamma doesn't believe in alligators in the basement (which is kind of dumb, since she's the one who brought it up). Since so many kids' books feature strange animals, with strange abilities, in strange places, assuming that the alligator is imaginary isn't as logical as it sounds. The illustrations are pleasant, but nothing special. The book is all right, but I can't think of any reason that I'd spend money to get a copy.

- AnnaLovesBooks

5.0 out of 5 stars disregard amazon's scathing review, July 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Alligator in the Basement (Hardcover)

don't believe the review above...this book is pure genius of children's fiction. my kids have actually called mr. keeshan to express gratitude for the spiritual and psychological growth (using those words exactly, at such young ages, with the help of the intellectual advancement provoked by this tale) this book has provided them with. i read it to them every night. please, think of the children. buy this book. i read it when i'm depressed. merely thinking about it is overwhelming. please, i implore you: buy! buy!