Customer Reviews

Alligators All Around (The Nutshell Library)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow! This is the best alphabet book ever! With words such as "N Never Napping, O Ordering Oatmeal, P Pushing People", along with adorable pictures of the goofy alligator pulling these stunts, this book is the love of many young children. Any child who misses out on this book is missing out on a treasure!

Maurice Sendak's Alligators All Around: An Alphabet portrays a family of three alligators through the ups and downs of daily life in their household. Not a traditional narrative, the personalities of the alligator family emerge in a series of humorous vignettes associated with each letter of the alphabet. "D" shows the child grudgingly helping his father "doing dishes"; "G" shows the family enjoying each other's company "getting giggles"; "T" shows the child "throwing tantrums," which may be the cause for "H" showing the parents in bed with cold compresses "having headaches." Each letter receives one page, with three-color illustrations appearing in boxed panels. Sendak's unique style comes through, with the alligator parents showing shades of "wild things" and the alligator child marching across the pages like Max. Beneath the illustrations, an uppercase serif letter appears in the lower-left corner along with the associated phrase of words starting with the letter. Children will love the small size of the book (approximately 5"x7") and will notice the relationship between the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make in words.

The protagonist of this story is a suave, precociously cultured alligator. Through a series of events that range from shocking to awe-inspiring, the alligator regales the reader with powerful depictions of the versatility and charm that can be found in the alphabet. I found this book to be no less than the pinnacle of alphabet teaching aids, with its captivatingly vivid imagery that grabs the reader's interest and refuses to let go. People of all ages, particularly very young children, will find this book invaluable as a letter learning tool.

Maurice Sendak and learning the alphabet! This combination is a winner. I loved this book so much as a child. I now use it as a stress reducer in my adult life. Maurice Sendak was before his time with this one. Children of all ages can glean something from it. Whether it is learning the alphabet or getting the giggles with the letter "G". A must for all great home libraries.

This is an alphabet book featuring alligators drawn by Maurice Sendak. Each letter has the alligators doing some activity, such as getting giggles for "g" or throwing tantrums for "t". The book is cute and not scary. It has about 60 words.

The 5-K Classes where I was student teaching this year used this book set to music in their end-of-the-year program!! The hand motions and the "lyrics" were ADORABLE!!! When I saw it at the library, I just knew my son had to have a copy of his very own.

I grew up reading these Sendak books, and watching the Really Rosie movie that incorporates them, and love them. My son loves them too. I do however, miss the hard cover version. The paperbacks seem kind of flimsy and it takes two hands to keep the pages open.

Alligators All Around is a book that is good for children and adults. Each page shows an alligator doing something a person would normally do,
making it easy for children to familiarize with and laugh at as well. The book itself is a bit small about 7"x3" which is good for kids, but not if you are trying to
read and show it to a class, for example. All original artwork my Maurice Sendak (creator of Where the Wild Things Are).

Here's a Sendak book I'd not known before but I liked it so much I bought it for young nephews. This is an alphabet of alligators and of course they are seen in many absurd and interesting situations. It flows well and is a great read-aloud book.

When I read this book, I just can't help but sing the song from the Really Rosie TV special back in the 80's. (I also bought the CD.) It is a favorite of mine, of my grown children, and sure to become a favorite of their children for whom I bought it. Charming illustrations, clever content and a fun way to learn the alphabet.